Basketball On The Internet.

YES, the NBL does like to position itself as the No.2 league in the world but Cairns today losing 145-82 to Washington Wizards and New Zealand beaten 106-66 by Portland Trailblazers suggests after the NBA at #1, if we are #2, then perhaps Euroleague is #1a, and Spain #1b and there’s quite a few more at 1c, 1d and 1e before we get down to #2.

Felt for the Taipans as they were down their two Sams (Waardenburg and Mennenga), both ill. But on the up side, the NBL has found coach Adam Forde has no case to answer regarding the tunnel incident at halftime of Cairns’ road win over Brisbane.

Bullets centre Aron Baynes, on the other hand, will go before a one-man tribunal tomorrow at 7pm AEDT.

The errant elbow swung by Taipans’ big Lat Mayen resulted in him being charged with striking, assessed a one-game penalty, reduced to a $1,550 fine for his early guilty plea.

(A better penalty may have been requiring him to watch the Taipans-Wizards game on repeat three times.)

Forde being cleared of any wrongdoing meant there was a timely and important backlash for Bullets senior basketball advisor Stu Lash, who levelled inflammatory criticism at the Taipans coach post-match.

Again, a more harsh penalty would have been making him sit through five replays of the Taipans-Wizards match.

Not having a crack at either of our NBL teams across the Pacific, but hopefully they will produce tighter results in their second outings against NBA opposition. They’re just making the NBL’s claim at being the No.2 league in the world look as ridiculous as the claim always has been.

*  *  *

IS breaking backboards a “thing” in Hobart. Fabjian Krslovic did it during the warm-up ahead of Tassie’s match with Sydney and the last guy to do it before him was Hobart Devils import Jim Havrilla.

Matt McQuade reliably informs me there has been a third case – Grant Kruger smashing one at Broadmeadows Stadium before a Newcastle Falcons-Sydney Kings game. They had to drag out a wooden backboard from another court to replace that one!

Still, the count is Tasmania 2, Mainland 1.

Speaking of two, Tasmania is looking at two more wins this round where the focus again will fall on the three preseason favourites for the title, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney.

The Wildcats host United, then are away to Sydney in an early look at how all three are travelling.

On our rankings this week, Tasmania and Cairns were the big movers while New Zealand and South East Melbourne slipped several rungs.

ROUND 3 TIPS
Tasmania to successfully defend the island against the Hawks.
Sydney to unsettle Brisbane, the Bullets logging their second home loss.
Perth to stave off a belligerent United trying to make amends for last round.
Adelaide to break the ice at home and beat Illawarra.
Tasmania to successfully invade the mainland and take out SEM.
Melbourne at home to send Brisbane back to the drawing board.
Sydney to hold serve at home against Perth.

NBL RANKINGS – WEEK 2
This          Last
Week       Week   Club
  1               6        Tasmania (2-1) Can jump to 4-1, building on big wins last round.
  2               1        Sydney (2-1) Should blanket Bullets and catch Perth on rebound.
  3               2        Melbourne (2-1) A split round would be good, the Bullets vulnerable.
  4               8        Cairns (2-1) Good pair of wins before the NBA come-uppance.
  5               5        Perth (2-1) Can they do a JJs and beat United and Kings back2back?
  6               7        Brisbane (2-1) Week’s events will unite or untie Brisbane.
  7               3        New Zealand (1-1) Disappointing loss and now for some NBA bruises.
  8             10        Illawarra (1-2) Won the Phoenix shoot-out and can split this trip.
  9               4        South East (1-3) Down on manpower but that can motivate.
10               9       Adelaide (0-4) Chance to break through and must grab it.

PS

Whoops! Tiny Pinder broke a backboard too. It's a freakin' epidemic!