Basketball On The Internet.

NOW here's the thing. NBL clubs aren't leaking much info pre-game about just who among their roster currently are most recently coming out of COVID health and safety protocols so any predictions here for Round 8 are based on the pretext EVERYONE is equally healthy. Which they're not.

We're now going to plough on into this round with the sickening feeling in the stomach - no, that shouldn't be a coronavirus symptom - that by quarter-time in most of these games, we ALL will know if one team or the other is suffering some type of COVID-19 affliction.

Here we go:

 AFTER their 1-18 fade-out at home to New Zealand over the second half of the last quarter last round, Sydney will be seeking some measure of redemption but run into a Bullets team starting to feel good about itself. Two teams desperate to be in that Final Four conversation, this still looks very much a home team win.

 THERE are fans who have anxiously waited for this clash all season, the first face-to-face meeting of United's championship-winning starting PG Mitch McCarron and his successor at Melbourne, Matthew Dellavedova. Delly was in the greatest shooting form of his life last week but McCarron also was hot. The difference is even if Delly cools - as he will, others will pick up the slack, and the win.

 PERTH rarely loses twice in succession but it was noticeably down last week in Adelaide (Luke Travers didn't suit) and news of West Australia's latest border closure would have to be wreaking havoc with the mental and emotional state of some of Scott Morrison's roster. That does start the Hawks with a decided edge.

 THIS is where it gets truly difficult to make any sort of confident prediction, without knowing in advance how Friday's game between these two played out. But going on the premise the Bullets won at home, the season now might start to feel as if it is slipping away for the Kings. That desperation should bring the best from Chase Buford's roster and keep the home fires burning.

 JUST a few years ago, the NBL had no teams in green. Now it has two! Time flies. The JackJumpers have managed to spread formic acid on unsuspecting incoming rivals but the Phoenix were so anaemic in Brisbane, you just know they will bring it in this one. Brandon Ashley's debut should add some lustre for South East which will need a full 40-minute commitment to walk out the winner.

ANOTHER very tough result to predict due to the Hawks already hosting Perth and the 36ers facing Melbourne earlier in the round. How these teams fared there would inform how they might respond for this because you know Adelaide is going to secure a scalp at some point but you also know Illawarra is playing very consistent basketball. Stick with the home team but with no confidence.

THAT's where we'll leave it for this round for now. But thought we'd entertain you with a quick pic of the Cairns Taipans as a reminder they're in the NBL too.