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Let's not get ahead of ourselves
TweetATTENDED my first Adelaide 36ers practice of the preseason today under the new regime of NBL championship-winning coach Joey Wright and came away impressed with the club's direction - up.
It has been such a grind in Adelaide for so long now that to see a team of pro athletes laden with talent, busting their butts and performing with intensity and with a leader at the helm who knows what he's doing and what he wants, it is easy to get carried away.
Been there. Done that.
I came away genuinely delighted for Sixers fans because their team will be on the rise for sure in 2013-14. (Hell, there's no other way to go - except the SEABL - after all.)
But until the Loggins-Bruton Cup is played out next month, it would be foolhardy to annoint any team on the basis of preseason training.
I saw a tweet recently from a Kings fan marvelling at Shane Heal's roster and Sydney's chances.
Pretty sure they're excited in Townsville under new coach Shawn Dennis and the team the Crocs have put together.
I was typing up today's NewsCorp online story about the practice (http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/basketball/anthony-petrie-mitch-creek-and-new-faces-stand-out-as-adelaide-36ers-look-to-shake-nbl-blues-on-the-training-track/story-fnii09ki-1226706749171 ) and as I added each of the completed rosters, had to admit, season 2013-14 was looking like a beaut.
Bear in mind Perth has signed NBA-bound James Ennis and still has a couple of roster spots left, including one for an import.
And Wollongong similarly has an import and a big-man opening.
So it's a little premature to get too far ahead of ourselves beyond saying I like what Aaron Fearne has done in Cairns and Chris Anstey at Melbourne.
The Tigers have brought in 213cm Scott Morrison and playmaker Stephen Dennis as their import combo meaning for the first time in a very long time, Melbourne's coach and assistant-coach won't be the best seven-footer and point guard respectively, at the club.
THE new NBL is going to be fun to watch too because my (e)mail is there are some officiating changes in the wind.
I'm hearing former AFL umpire and the man in charge of our refs for the past few years, Peter Carey, will be thanked for his contribution and ushered to the door.
(Perhaps someone outside could lob up a drop punt and when Peter flies to mark it, the door could gently be shut behind him. And the locks changed?)
Here's hoping my personal favorite "Three Blind Mice" (yes, good folk at BA, I do drop the "u" out of favorite and other words for which it is superfluous, very American of me, I know and well spotted after more than a year) Mal Cooper, Ray Hunt and Bill Mildenhall have something to do with the direction our referees take.
For mine, those three officials, plus Geoff Weeks in South Australia and Ian Watts in Victoria, always stood out for me as men with commonsense and an appreciation of what the competitor is experiencing.
If they are to have anything to do with the future of our umpires, that can only be a good thing in exactly the same way re-engaging Hall of Famers such as Leroy Loggins, Cal Bruton and Ray Borner (for the preseason) and other former greats in the longer term, has to serve the NBL well.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves and start calling for three points for a dunk and other such novelties.
The game of basketball is perfect as it is, PROVIDED the rules are adhered to and not left to "interpretation".
Protect the shooter, protect the offence. Pretty simple.
MUST admit I got a little excited when I read Basketball Australia was monitoring the situation in Syria, given BA's success in settling other Middle Eastern conflicts.
All kidding aside, the situation there is extremely serious and if the Australian Under-23 Men's Wheelchair team heading for the worlds in nearby Turkey is in any way compromised, a timely withdrawal - is there any other kind? - should be undertaken.
It was reported here today, http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/basketball/aussie-wheelchair-team-could-be-withdrawn-from-8216worlds8217-in-turkey-due-to-security-risks-in-nearby-syria/story-fnii09gt-1226706910082 and no doubt will be followed closely.
STATE League Grand Final teams for Saturday's matches at Adelaide Arena have been named.
The women's final is at 6:15pm with Michelle Dyson and Nathan Wieland presiding
Norwood North Adelaide
6 Amy Lewis 5 Tahnee Mansfield
7 Jordan Walker-Roberts 6 Jess Smart
9 Dusty Rodda 7 Jo Hill
10 Marisa Stabile 8 Kelsey McKay
12 Jess Good 9 Bec Lock
13 Kate Dasey 10 Shannon McKay
14 Cara Boothey 11 Kirsty Williams
15 Elizabeth Keane 12 Bek Hatchard
21 Kiersten Tindall 13 Tayla Calvert
23 Rebecca Duke 15 Taylor Goggins
24 Jess Foley 21 Genna Anderson
23 Jamie-Lee Peris
Head Coach Head Coach
Simon Pritchard Barry Mansfield
Asst Coaches Asst Coaches
Brenton Johnston John Della-Pia
Kelsey Ireland Simon Crowden
The men's final is scheduled for an 8:15 tip-off, Nathan Durant and Andrew Filmer in charge
West Adelaide Forestville
3 Daniel Johnson 1 Charles Newland
4 Adam Pearce 4 Oliver Megins
6 Mackenzie Sexton 5 Lachlan Kerr
9 Paul Rankin 6 Trent Fildes
10 Tom Kubank 7 Adam Doyle
11 Tristan Braithwaite 10 Kean Flowers
12 Zane Reeves 12 Adam Gibson
14 Blake Truslove 13 Jake Rios
15 Jason Cadee 20 Harri Harvey
21 Danny Phillips 21 Brad Gerlach
31 Anthony Spadavecchia 25 Kane Oakley
33 Josh Knight 31 Neil Mottram
Head Coach Head Coach
Paul Bell Andy Simons
Asst Coaches Asst Coaches
Graham Kubank Todd Grocke
Danny Phillips Brad Haydon
Manager Manager
Pat Coppick Michael Sweeney
Lachlan Coppick
OPALS mentor Brendan Joyce is heading to the US to try and win over WNBA support for his national squad ahead of next year's FIBA World Championship.
We had the story at NewsCorp today at: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/basketball/opals-boss-brendan-joyce-usbound-seeking-games-against-the-americans-with-wnba-teams-and-their-aussie-players/story-fnii09gt-1226706779209 though Lord only knows what the headline means!
