Basketball On The Internet.

NBL Season 2023-24 tips off tonight in a week the Adelaide 36ers realised they’d sacked their import, who also apparently didn’t know what everyone following the Blitz already did. Welcome to the NBL Scottie Pippen.

It claims to be the world’s second-best league, thriving on such unchallenged nonsense because we live in an age where any crazy claim can be made without the requirement of any form of proof or justification.

It trots out the best player of the era – Perth import Bryce Cotton – to spruik how the talent level has never been better, forgetting that if challenged, it’s unlikely BC could name six non-Wildcats from either the 80s or 90s when the game really was growing.

That was last century.

What IS happening is the Throwdown between Melbourne United and South East Melbourne Phoenix will tip off yet another very promising and exciting NBL season, full of exciting Aussies, talented imports and a bunch of young Next Stars faces out to make a major mark.

It augurs well for an extremely good season, with abundant highlights and a plethora of “Whoa! Did that just happen?” moments.

In truth, the NBL hardly needs the amount of pom-pom waving frothy overblown assessments its compliant media consistently ejaculates because the product is great and speaks for itself.

Here’s a great stat ahead of tonight’s match for example. The home team won each of the four games between Melbourne and South East Melbourne last season.

Phoenix phenom Mitch Creek has scored 15 or more points in 27 consecutive performances, which is the longest streak of any active player in the league.

United’s multiple Olympian Chris Goulding has a career average of 18.1 points per game against SE Melbourne. That’s his most against any opponent.

Reckon this shapes up well?

You bet. United will be bouncing back from a disappointing 2022-23 season and has a stacked roster that makes it one of the main favourites for the championship.

The Phoenix have Mike Kelly at the helm and have retooled in the off-season.

This is a fabulous way to start the round.

United wins it by 10+ for me but derbies often produce startling results so if you’re a South East fan, see if you can find a betting agency that will give you good odds on an upset.

There’s bound to be one out there somewhere, surely?

MEANWHILE, Adelaide tomorrow in Brisbane will lose its season-opener for the eighth straight season, bringing coach CJ Bruton a step closer to his premature demise at the club.

They’ve stacked up his assistants and word around the traps is they’re even sniffing around Trevor Gleeson so there’s plenty going on in the city of church mice.

Nathan Sobey’s 18-point average against his former club is his most against any opponent and fellow Tokyo Olympian Aron Baynes drags down 11.3 boards against the Sixers, his best haul against any opponent.

Jason Cadee, back at his former club in his first game against his most recent former club, should enjoy the night while he can, and Mitch McCarron also is “home”.
 
Mitch is 10 points away from his 2000th NBL career point which he could have by quarter-time tomorrow in Brizzy, or halfway through November.

My tip is South Aussie Justin Schueller starts his NBL head coach career with a win.
     
TOMORROW night’s matches close in Perth where Tasmania will have stalwart Jack McVeigh playing his 150th game and off-season signing Anthony Drmic his 200th.

The former 36ers will have another of their past alumni, Majok Deng, darting around with the JackJumpers but unlike Jamaal Franklin, these guys all knew they were not required in Adelaide.

Exactly 180-degrees from Adelaide, Perth has opened the past eight seasons with a win.

The Antman Scott Roth likes returning to Perth, where he started his NBL journey as Trevor Gleeson’s right-hand man. But a surprise tomorrow might just be too much of a longshot.