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!

A History of the Australian Boomers

With the Olympics only a couple of weeks away I thought I would look at the evolving nature of the Australian Boomers basketball team.  Going all the way back to the 1996 Games in Atlanta, USA to this month’s London 2012 Olympics it’s interesting to see how the team has changed and where the players are coming from.  Let’s start 16 years ago...

1996 Atlanta Olympic Games

This team was the highlight of the last twenty years as they blasted nearly everyone in Group B, winning four out of their five games, putting them second in the group and scoring over 100 points in those four wins.  They got pounded by Yugoslavia but everyone in the group did.  In the quarter finals they were matched up with Croatia and on the back of a last second three pointer by Tony Ronaldson they escaped by two points to move on to the semi finals, where they would be against the mighty USA.  Losing 101-73 put them in the Bronze medal game which they lost by a heartbreaking six points against Lithuania.

The squad was made entirely of NBL players –

Andrew Gaze (captain) – Melbourne Tigers

Tony Ronaldson – South East Melbourne Magic

Sam Mackinnon – South East Melbourne Magic

Scott Fisher – Perth Wildcats

Pat Reidy – North Melbourne Giants

Brett Maher – Adelaide 36ers

Tonny Jensen – North Melbourne Giants

Shane Heal – Sydney Kings

Mark Bradtke – Melbourne Tigers

John Dorge – South East Melbourne Magic

Andrew Vlahov – Perth Wildcats

Ray Borner – Canberra Cannons

Some massive names from the history books of Australian basketball and it was no wonder that the team came so close to winning a medal.  Things would change with time.

2000 Sydney Olympic Games

With only six players returning from the 96 games there was a lot of pressure on the younger guys to step up and produce.  Luckily for the team Luc Longley put his hand up to play which helped immensely.  In group B the team was average, winning three out of their five games and interestingly finished with a measly +1 in points difference.  The team lost their first two games, going down to the Steve Nash led Canadians by 11 and losing again to Yugoslavia by 14.  That would mean they have to win their next three games, which they did.  Four points did it against Russia, eleven against Angola and in the final game of the group they beat Spain by eleven.  That would mean they came up against Italy in the quarter finals, beating them by one shot, 65-62 but lost again in the semi finals, this time to France 76-52.  In a severe case of déjà vu they squared off against Lithuania again for Bronze where they faltered and lost by a massive 18 points, 89-71.

Again this time all but one player on the squad was playing in the NBL –

Andrew Gaze (captain) – Melbourne Tigers

Chris Anstey – Victoria Titans

Mark Bradtke – Melbourne Tigers

Martin Cattalini – Adelaide 36ers

Ricky Grace – Perth Wildcats

Shane Heal – Sydney Kings

Luc Longley – Phoenix Suns (USA)

Sam Mackinnon – Townsville Crocodiles

Brett Maher – Adelaide 36ers

Paul Rogers – Perth Wildcats

Jason Smith – Victoria Titans

Andrew Vlahov – Perth Wildcats

Still the big names but some up and comers like Chris Anstey and Jason Smith.  What is great about this squad is that Longley played, showing that Australians can play overseas and play well, which will be a continuing trend in the next few games.

2004 Athens Olympic Games

There were five returning players from the Sydney games but the heavy hitters, like Andrew Gaze, Luc Longley and Andrew Vlahov had retired.  And it showed, as the team wallowed to a 1-4 record and second last in the group.  What makes matters worse is that their only win was against bottom placed Angola who had an average losing margin of 20 points a game.  That put us in the 9^th place classification match against New Zealand where we beat the Tall Blacks 98-80, a small victory when it made us 9^th instead of 10^th.  The less said about this campaign the better.

There were now three players playing overseas, up from the one at Sydney –

Shane Heal (captain) – Sydney Kings

Tony Ronaldson – Perth Wildcats

Brett Maher – Adelaide 36ers

Andrew Bogut – University of Utah (USA)

Martin Cattalini – Adelaide 36ers

John Rillie – West Sydney Razorbacks

CJ Bruton – Sydney Kings

Jason Smith – Sydney Kings

Glen Saville – Wollongong Hawks

David Anderson – Montepaschi Siena (Italy)

Matthew Nielsen – Sydney Kings

Paul Rogers – Casademont Girona (Spain)

As you can see all of the legendary players had left except for Shane Heal and Andrew Bogut was a 19 year old college player, this was very much a rebuilding year and it showed on the standings.  However, there were triple the amount of players playing overseas than the last Olympics which is a good sign for Australian basketball.

2008 Beijing Olympic Games

Six past players took part in the China games but it seemed there was a youth initiative happening, with six players 25 years or younger.  Similar to the Sydney Olympics, the team lost their first two games but went on to win their next three to come fourth in the group.  It was the young brigade who led the way, with one of those six under 25 players leading the scoring in all but one game.  Unfortunately coming fourth put them square against the  ‘Redeem Team’ Americans where they were handsomely thrashed 116-85 but put up a fight in the first half, only being down by 12 but were blown out of the water in the second half.  As there was no seeding playoff game the team finished seventh but were equal fifth on win/loss which was a great turnaround.

There were now five players playing overseas, nearly half the team –

Matthew Nielsen (captain) – BC Lietuvos Rytas (Lithuania)

Chris Anstey – Melbourne Tigers

Patrick Mills – Saint Mary’s (USA)

Andrew Bogut – Milwaukee Bucks (USA)

Joe Ingles – South Dragons

Brad Newley – Panellinios (Greece)

CJ Bruton – New Zealand Breakers

David Barlow – Melbourne Tigers

Mark Worthington – South Dragons

Glen Saville – Wollongong Hawks

David Andersen – FC Barcelona (Spain)

Shawn Redhage – Perth Wildcats

As Australians are getting more and more recognition throughout the basketball world they are getting snapped up by talent hungry teams, shown by the five foreigners out of the twelve.  But that is nothing compared to this year’s squad.

2012 London Olympic Games

As the games haven’t been played yet I can’t give a recap so here is the team –

Matthew Nielsen (captain) – BC Khimki (Russia)

Peter Crawford – Townsville Crocodiles

Patrick Mills – San Antonio Spurs (USA)

Adam Gibson – Gold Coast Blaze

Joe Ingles – FC Barcelona Regal (Spain)

Brad Newley – Valencia BC (Spain)

Matthew Dellavedova – Saint Mary’s (USA)

David Barlow – CB Murcia (Spain)

Mark Worthington – Gold Coast Blaze

Aron Baynes – Ikaros Kallitheas BC (Greece)

Daniel Kickert – Turow Zgorzelec (Poland)

Aleks Maric – Panathinaikos BC (Greece)

David Andersen – Mens Sana Basket (Italy)

As you can see, all but three players are from the NBL and in my opinion is a great showing of Australian basketball.  Sure the NBL suffers as the league would like to have all of these players competing in the Australian league but it just goes to show that the world is sitting up and taking notice of the Aussies in the world and I would love to see all of the players competing in the Olympics be from overseas teams as it shows that this country exports so great talent.

How will the team go?  Who knows but I’m pumped to find out, only three weeks to go!

What Happened to Martin Iti?

It’s a fairly common story: a promising Australian goes to America to further their basketball prospects by either attending high school or college.  After they graduate from their respective institutions the wiser and more complete player will come back to Australia and play out their career in the NBL.  It happened to Anatoly Bose, Aaron Bruce and Andrew Gaze.  So you would think that would be the plan for Martin Iti right?

Let’s go back a bit, shall we?  Iti’s high school career was illustrious, graduating from the fabled Mount Zion Christian Academy which has notable alumni like Amare Stoudemire, Tracy McGrady and Brandon Rush.  Sounds good so far.  The amazing note is that he was in the stratosphere in the rankings.  So high in fact that ESPN had him as the number eight high school recruit in the nation and the best centre in the whole country as a senior.  In the 2003 high school class that included LeBron James and Chris Paul he was rating higher than many NBA first round picks such as Joakim Noah and Adam Morrison as well as former NBL MVP Gary Ervin.  The respected recruiting website Rivals had him as a four star recruit and the seventh best centre in all of America.  Scout.com said that he “Has the potential to make a lot of money playing this game”.  For someone so highly touted you would think that several major colleges would be knocking on his door.

Not so as he picked by the minnow Charlotte 49ers but made the best of it, being named to the Conference USA all-freshman team as he averaged 6.0 points and 4.7 rebounds in his first year.  Confusingly he put his name in for the NBA draft but after an underwhelming pre-draft camp he decided to withdraw his name from the draft and go back to Charlotte.  Unfortunately his sophomore season was worse than his first and he became frustrated and transferred to the hilariously named Aggies of New Mexico State.  His next season (after sitting out one for the transfer) was better even though he didn’t play as many minutes but regressed in his senior year.  Predictably he wasn’t drafted to an NBA team.

After the draft he played for the Rotterdam Challengers in Holland then came back to New Zealand to play for the Southland Sharks and now onto the Sydney Kings where he is averaging 3.5 minutes a game.  So what went wrong?  My guess is that there were a few factors.

The first factor was that in his high school career he went to six high schools, taking away his chance to gel with a team and really get into a groove for his game to flourish.  Another black mark stemming from all this moving around is that many scouts would be wary of someone who moves around too much, it shows that he runs when things aren’t going his way (there was talk that he changed schools because he wasn’t the focal point of the team).

The biggest factor would be that he probably isn’t very good.  Although he was listed at seven feet tall at college he was measured at only 6’8 ½” at the NBA pre-draft camp, massively hindering his chances as a centre.  His weaknesses would have been overshadowed by the fact that in most high school basketball games any player with height and an ounce of skill would dominate against smaller, weaker opponents.  He had good defensive instincts but that only takes someone so far and he was outed as a poor recruit.  He played reasonably well for Southland but has been glued to the pine playing for the woeful Kings which rings alarm bells straight away.

So what’s next for the fallen one?  In his first real game as a King substituting for the injured Julian Khazzouh he was ineffective, fouling out in only eleven minutes with two rebounds and a block.  He will get his chance again this week with Khazzouh out again in their matchup with Wollongong, so hopefully he takes his opportunity with both hands.  He has the talent and the size, he just needs to prove to the team and more importantly himself that he can become one of the dominant defensive big men in the league and maybe he could live up to his lofty hype from so many years ago.

Australians in the NCAA

There are currently 53 Australians (and two New Zealanders) currently playing in the American college basketball system.  I’m sure all of them are having the time of their lives, trading baskets with some of the best young basketballers in the world.  Hopefully for some, after their collegiate career is over they can come back to Australia and find a roster spot on an NBL team.  It sure would be having a normal, nine to five job in the real world.  Here are my top ten players who I would love to see pull on an NBL jersey in the near future.

1.       Matthew Dellavedova, Saint Mary’s, Junior, 193cm, 86kg, Guard

37.0 minutes, 15.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 0.1 blocks, 0.9 steals

The recently anointed West Coast Conference Player of the Year, Dellavedova has been a star since the first time he stepped on the Gael’s court.  Already a member of the Boomers side and an emphasis on quality point guard play in the NBL, I’m sure there will be many teams knocking on his door when he graduates from Saint Mary’s.

2.       Brock Motum, Washington State, Junior, 208cm, 104kg, Forward

32.3 minutes, 17.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.4 blocks, 0.5 steals

In the tough Pac-12 conference which includes the likes of Arizona, UCLA, Stanford and Washington, Motum has devoured them all.  At a healthy 6 foot 10 he has the skills to be a great power forward/centre in this league, a luxury for the big man starved teams around.  I could see him doing wonders in Wollongong or in a new Brisbane team where he grew up.

3.       Ryan Broekhoff, Valparaiso, Junior, 201cm, 98kg, Guard-Forward

32.2 minutes, 14.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.6 blocks, 1.3 steals

A versatile small forward, Broekhoff has broken out this year.  He has eleven double doubles this year which is crazy for a swingman and leads all Australians in rebounding by a wide margin.  The Frankston native has increased his production every year at Val so next season should be very exciting.

4.       Anthony Drmic, Boise State, Freshman, 198cm, 91kg, Guard-Forward

30.1 minutes, 12.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.2 blocks, 1.2 steals

The younger brother of NBL player Frank Drmic, Anthony is already carving out his own path at mid-major Boise State.  For a freshman to average over 30 minutes per game in the competitive Mountain West Conference is astounding and his numbers are very good as well.  Keep a look out for Drmic in the next three years as he will be very sought after when he leaves college.

5.       Hugh Greenwood, New Mexico, Freshman, 191cm, 95kg, Guard

22.0 minutes, 5.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.4 blocks, 0.9 steals

A combo guard that can do most things, Greenwood made a name for himself while representing Australia in the junior championships; he is also turning heads for the Lobos of New Mexico which is a good team.  Those numbers are very rounded and as a freshman has plenty of time to refine his game and take charge in the future.

6.       Jackson Aldridge, Butler, Freshman, 183cm, 82kg, Guard

14.4 minutes, 4.0 points, 1.2 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.0 blocks, 0.4 steals

Aldridge may not have the numbers like the rest of the players on this list but he does play for Butler, a perennial tournament piece.  At only six foot he is a little on the short side but he also was a part of the Australian junior squad and should get his chances in the next year or two.

7.       Jeromie Hill, UTSA, Sophomore, 203cm, 104kg, Forward

30.7 minutes, 12.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.8 blocks, 0.9 steals

The first response I had was, “where is UTSA?”  When I found out (San Antonio) I saw that Hill is leading his team in rebounds and third in scoring and I decided that he is someone to keep an eye on.  Only a second year player he is very consistent, putting up similar numbers in his freshman year.  Hopefully he continues to grow into an NBL calibre player.

8.       Jordan Vandenberg, North Carolina State, Junior,  216cm, 117kg, Centre

11.9 minutes, 2.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.7 blocks, 0.0 steals

He’s over seven feet tall.  That would be enough for most teams in the NBL to at least have a look at Vandenberg because his numbers aren’t eye popping.  However, when you take into account that he is in the arguably best conference in America which includes juggernauts like Duke and North Carolina I sit up and listen.  Any player who can get on a team in the ACC and get nearly twelve minutes a game is talented enough to give a roster spot to.  Hell, Ater Majok did nothing when he was at UConn or even Perth or Gold Coast and he got drafted into the NBA!

9.       Corey Maynard, Bryant, Sophomore, 191cm, 84kg, Guard

34.5 minutes, 11.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 0.1 blocks, 1.1 steals

I haven’t seen much of Maynard in his two years at Bryant University but when a sophomore averages nearly a full game of basketball my ears perk up.  He isn’t the best shooter (only 41% from the field and 60% from the line) and his team was a mind boggling 2-26 for the season but I’m going to keep base with Maynard to see if his numbers aren’t just stat padding.

10.   (tie)  Clint Steindl (Senior), Jordan Page (Sophomore), Mitchell Young (Junior), Saint Mary’s

The other Australians on the Aussie overloaded Mary’s team can make an NBL side if the put in the work.  Their numbers are down all across the board to last season as other players are filling in their spots but I’m sure at least one of these players will be on an Australian basketball team in the near future.

There are more prospects out there (Cody Ellis, Joel Naburgs) and with more and more Australians going over to America to get experience the future looks bright for the NBL.  I hope your brackets this year aren’t too bad like mine was season.

Why Sports Are Just Tops

I hate when some people say sports are just people running around kicking balls.  Or for guys to touch each other’s balls.  That’s like saying art is just paint on a wall.  Or music is just noise.  It is insulting to me as a sports fanatic to have my favourite past time boiled down to its bare elements.  To all the non-sporty people out there reading this (yeah right, the people who read this blog are obviously sports fans, but this is hypothetical) then read on and I will tell you why basketball and sports in general are not just kicking or throwing a ball around to quench our primal instincts.

1.       It brings communities together

Go to a sold out Melbourne Tigers game and try and tell me that sports don’t bring people together.  Watching the first game of the season when the Tigers squared against the Kings the crowd was electric.  Seeing a prim girly girl next to an overweight aging man cheering together is magic.  Walk down a busy Melbourne street in peak AFL season wearing a team’s colours and don’t be surprised if you get stopped and have an impromptu conversation about the team’s performance.  Sports are ingrained into the population; it is in our bones.  This brings me to my next point.

2.       Everyone knows about sports

When I was growing up I was told by my mum that if I want to start a conversation with a stranger then I should use the FOSH method: Family, Occupation, Sports and History.  Any and all of these subjects are great starting blocks for striking up a discussion with a person you have never met before.  Think about that, in a sports mad country like ours sports are one of the basic talking points that can be used on almost anyone.  Most people will have a favourite sports team even if they don’t follow the sport or have no idea who is in the squad.  Living in New South Wales I have seen the impact sports have on people and surprisingly hardcore NRL fans still have a favourite AFL team and will check in on the league every now and again because sports are universal.

3.       It shows off the physical peak of human fitness

Pop quiz, what kind of men do women lust over?  Some correct answers are firemen, actors and sportsmen.  I really don’t think that a young 20-something female would be getting all hot and bothered over a sculptor.  Professional athletes are fit because their work demands it.  They push their bodies to their physical peak to get a better advantage on their competition.  Basketball players spend hours in the gym sculpting their body to match the needs of the game.  Some marathon runners have a resting heart rate in the 40s while LeBron James is six foot eight and can still make it up and down a basketball court like he is in fast forward.  This kind of body doesn’t come easy.  It shows an absolute dedication to their work and an unbelievably strong will which are characteristics most people look for in idols.  It is something to look up to so others can be motivated by their stories.  I remember watching a documentary with Jason Kidd who explained that he had to give up going to parties, give up on having a late night snack of leftover pizza and had to be focused on the goal, even before he was recruited to California for his college career.

Don’t think that all this talk of body sculpting and pumping iron re-enforces the ‘stupid jock’ stereotype.  Just look at flavour of the week Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks who graduated from Harvard University with a degree in economics and a 3.1 GPA.

4.       It brings out the best of human spirit

As many veterans of various wars can attest, war is the ultimate test of the human spirit.  It forces all forms of humans to dig deep and push through whatever hell the battle is putting them through.  Other tasks that push people are great adventures, like climbing great mountains or long and dangerous treks through harsh environments, and sports.

I’m not saying that sports are as soul defining as going to war but they do share some common characteristics.  They both have the respective participants overcome enormous odds; both tasks have a strong emphasis on camaraderie and both assignments forces the members of each team to really think about how they are going overcome those odds.  I love watching a team go on a run that brings the crowd to its feet and the team literally moves to another level.  Basketball is all about runs and stopping the opposition making one while you push for yours is intense.  When a player’s body has given up on them their spirit and courage is needed to will them over the line.

5.       It is extraordinarily complex...

Watching an experienced coach outsmart their opposition is fascinating to watch.  Seeing a team change strategies on the fly because the other team changed their strategy the play before is fantastic.  The little things about basketball and sports in general are one of the main things that draw spectators in droves.  When Carmelo Anthony was in Denver and Danilo Gallinari on the Knicks they had a showdown where each player demanded the ball to square off against the other was goose bump inducing.  Duels in sports are integral, whether it be on a small scale of a full forward battling for position against a full back or on a much larger scale like a Union team desperately trying to hold off the incoming charge of the opposition while clinging to a tiny lead in the dying seconds.

Another part of the complexity is the plays, whether they be set or free styled.  It’s fantastic to see a cricket captain set a field for a specific batsman and seeing said batter fall into the trap.  This is especially noticeable in basketball, where set plays are designed to score baskets as efficiently as possible.  The usuals like the triangle and flex are well known around the basketball community but there are thousands of manoeuvres that test both defences and offenses alike.

6.       ...yet can be played by nearly everyone

There are so many people in the world that play sports it’s probably impossible to get an accurate number.  I would guess that at least 95% of the entire world population has played some kind of sport in the lifetime.  Most sports are extremely easy to get into but if people continue with their chosen love then they will be welcomed with statistics, strict dietary requirements and an itch that will never go away (in a good way).  This kind of accessibility just can’t be matched by other kinds of activities.

There are my six reasons why sports are more than cavemen having a “who’s bigger” contest.  If sporting snobs actually took the time to look into the different kinds of contests they might just get hooked themselves.