2014/15 NBL Season + Off-season news/Boomers

[Gozu]

NBL Grand Final games coming up on TV:

Friday night: Game 1 NZ Breakers @ Cairns at 9:30pm (One)

Sunday afternoon: Game 2 Cairns @ NZ Breakers at 1pm (Ten)

Also the Perth Wildcats Damian Martin has become the first player in NBL history to win five consecutive Defensive Player of the year awards. He joins Darnell Mee as the only other player to win the award five times, Mee won it 3 times with the 36ers, once with Wollongong and once with Cairns. Martin beat out the NZ Breakers Ekene Ibekwe and Townsville's Mickell Gladness for the award.

Martin is a good defender but in my opinion Darnell Mee is the greatest defender in NBL history. Never forget the day he had 9 blocks against Canberra. Fair effort for a point guard. Mee should've won a couple more but for some reason the league gave it to Mike Kelly who was hopeless compared to Mee.

I agree 100% Mee was probably the best defensive player I ever saw in the NBL and he wasn't too shabby at the other end either.

[Gozu]

The NBL announced tonight that the Sydney Kings Angus Brandt won the Rookie of the year award.

[Brodlach]

Super shot with 1.3 seconds on the clock to win the Grand Final by Ibweke

[saintal]

Townsville and Wollongong to fold? The Bullets bid has been withdrawn? Messy times, as per most NBL off-seasons.

League legend D-Mac shown the door by "United".

[beef]

Time to pack it up maybe? or try a re-brand such as the A-League did, when basically no games are on TV you have no chance.

[saintal]

Since my team became defunct about 12 years ago I've only had fleeting interest in the league, but probably watched more games on Channel One this year than I had for a long time. One in particular sticks in mind, a game that the 36ers pinched against the Wildcats in Perth infront of over 13,000 people. Whatever Perth are doing is working.

I think there remains hope for the league, but not sure what the answer is. FWIW The average NBL crowd this season was 5,376, compared to the mid 3000s it was pulling during 2005-10. Those figures would be inflated though by Perth's efforts.

[Gozu]

Finally back online! As you guys mentioned a lot has happened NBL news wise since, most of the news not too flash.

Grand Final series

Game 1

New Zealand 86 (Jackson 22, Ibekwe 19, Abercrombie 13, Carter 12) def Cairns 71 (Wilbekin 16, Gliddon 13, Burston 11, Loughton 10)

Game 2

New Zealand 83 (Abercrombie 19, Jackson 15, Ibekwe 14, Wesley 12, Webster 11) def Cairns 81 (Tragardh 17, Craig 16, Gliddon 16, Wilbekin 10)

Breakers won the championship 2-0

Grand Final MVP: Cedric Jackson

All-NBL First Team

Cedric Jackson, Breakers
Scottie Wilbekin, Taipans
Josh Childress, Kings
Brock Motum, 36ers
Brian Conklin, Crocodiles

All-NBL Second Team

Jamar Wilson, 36ers
Jordan McRae, United
Todd Blanchfield, Crocodiles
Ekene Ibekwe, Breakers
Matthew Knight, Wildcats

Also Cairns Taipans coach Aaron Fearne won the NBL coach of the year award.

[Gozu]

Obviously the news of the Townsville Crocs joining the Wollongong Hawks in voluntary administration is terrible news along with the talk the Brisbane Bullets bid has gone belly up too. Andrew Gaze has supposedly called for the NBL to shut itself down and re-start the league. Maybe going back to winter might help the league?

The lack of attention the media gives the NBL just kills the league, even it's broadcaster Ten doesn't bother to run ads of upcoming games they're showing.

[king neptune]

Sad state of affairs, as it often is. Didn't the NBL have a 're branding' a few years back? Clearly that didn't work.

Random idea I was pondering which likely could never ever happen and probably wouldn't help that much even if it did but maybe something to think about.

Seeing as the sheep lovers have already muddied the waters by having a country branded team and right now it seems no state can support more than 1 team, maybe the NBL could consider having state branded teams?

WA Wildcats
SA 36ers
VIC Tigers
NSW Kings
QLD Taipans
NZ Breakers

See if by some miracle they could add ACT Cannons and TAS Devils or even bring back Singapore Slingers.

I know it would be a great shame to force an unnecessary change on teams like Perth and Adelaide due to the failures of other teams. I also know that no former Wollongong fans would support a 'Kings' branded team and likewise for Brisbane and Townsville fans supporting Taipans. Maybe adopt a brand new nickname for those teams?

This would obviously kill any chance for expansion within the states which would probably be the biggest negative. Like I said, this is about as unrealistic as it gets and probably wouldn't solve any of the $$$ problems but if they want radical change, that's something they might want to consider.

[whufc]

Obviously the news of the Townsville Crocs joining the Wollongong Hawks in voluntary administration is terrible news along with the talk the Brisbane Bullets bid has gone belly up too. Andrew Gaze has supposedly called for the NBL to shut itself down and re-start the league. Maybe going back to winter might help the league?

The lack of attention the media gives the NBL just kills the league, even it's broadcaster Ten doesn't bother to run ads of upcoming games they're showing.

Wouldn't they get less attention in winter with the AFL on

[Gozu]

Logically yes but the NBL thrived in the early-mid 90's in winter up against AFL and NRL. It's difficult to say but it turns out Melb Utd's owner Larry Kestelman offered to buy 51% of the NBL in the pre-season but some of the team owners balked at the idea.

http://www.botinagy.com/blog/the-7milli ... -rejected/

Boti Nagy is now saying on Twitter he has 100% faith in there being at least 8 teams in 2015/16

[Gozu]

Jamar Wilson won the 36ers team MVP award

[Gozu]

The winner of the NBL's Sixth Man of the year award Cameron Tragardh has re-signed with the Cairns Taipans to a 2 year deal.

[Gozu]

Another Cameron re-signs with Cairns Cam Gliddon on a 3 year deal.

[king neptune]

Unfortunately Joe Ingles won't be playing for Australia in the 2 Olympic qualifying games against New Zealand in August. It looks like all the others should be available at this stage though barring injury.

From the FIBA World Cup squad

David Andersen
Cameron Bairstow
Aron Baynes
Ryan Broekhoff
Matthew Dellavedova
Dante Exum
Adam Gibson
Chris Goulding
Joe Ingles
Nathan Jawai
Brock Motum
Brad Newley

Maybe have the following changes if all available

OUT
Joe Ingles
Adam Gibson
Nathan Jawai

IN
Ben Simmons
Patrick Mills
Andrew Bogut

[jakovasaurus]

That is a genuinely impressive squad. Aussie ball is in such a good place right now and with Simmons and Maker coming through, only going to get better. Would love Maker to be apart of the squad with Simmons even if only for the experience of being around the guys.

And If only Kyrie wasn't quite at the level he was and opted to play for us instead of the US.

[Gozu]

If the other 6 of our NBA players all play (bar Ingles of course) that would be one of the strongest teams we've put out for a long time.

Even though Bogut has supposedly put his hand up I'm still cautious, he hasn't played a game for the Boomers since the 2008 Olympics. In saying that Game 1 of the two game series is in his hometown Melbourne (the other game is in NZ) so a rare chance to play at home in front of friends and family.

[Gozu]

In a surprise announcement today Melbourne United announced their new head coach as Dean Demopoulos who spent 17 years as an assistant coach at Temple University then 1 year as head coach at the University of Missouri-Kansas City before becoming an NBA assistant coach with Seattle, Portland and then the LA Clippers.

[Gozu]

The NZ Breakers have announced that Mika Vukona who is currently playing in Italy on a short-term contract has re-signed with the club to a three year deal.

[Gozu]

Excellent news today with the 36ers announcing they've re-signed Daniel Johnson to a 3 year deal.

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015 ... re-johnson

Adelaide born Sydney Kings star Ben Madgen has opted out of his contract with the Kings to pursue opportunities in Europe and the NZ Breakers have re-signed Tai Wesley.