Basketball On The Internet.

THERE's truly no shortage of marquee matchups in Round 14 of the NBL season, starting tonight when defending champion Sydney hosts league-leading Melbourne, but Tasmania hosting Cairns and a revival in the significance of the New Zealand-Perth rivalry also pack plenty of interest and potential entertainment. And will Casey Prather hit the floor? 

Word around the traps is he arrived for Brisbane with a slight hamstring worry and you know soft tissue injuries in older athletes are nothing to be scoffed at.

The Bullets got it done over South East Melbourne which again faces 2023-24 nemesis Illawarra in another playoffs relevant showdown.

Are the Breakers, though still down Finn Delany, back in business now with Will McDowell-White and Zylan Cheatham back in uniform?

We'll certainly find out because Perth has established its new identity now and is putting consistent performances on the board.

It may not be what we once came to know as "Wildcats Basketball" but maybe Red Army fans should view it as "Wildcats Basketball 2.0"

Fact is it is effective and as long as Bryce Cotton is leading the way - even to the point of having his legs taken out late in an already-won game - right now Perth is the only team considered capable of taking out Melbourne.

OK, OK Cairns fans. We see you. The Taipans have owned United this season but remain consistently erratic, which may make that advantage irrelevant if they don't grasp a top-six playoff (play-in?) berth. 

Beating Tasmania would be a huge feather in the Taipans' cap, small though it would be on that little snake head.

The JackJumpers need Will Magnay back, even though Marcus Lee delivered his best game of the season against New Zealand. The JJs also need Milton Doyle and Jordon Crawford resembling their best versions or the record very quickly could slip into the red.

Adelaide has performed well against Melbourne this season, without winning. That about looks the most likely scenario again this round.

ROUND 14 TIPS
United will want to erase the Cairns road blemish by stopping Sydney.
Phoenix were feeble in Brisbane, will bounce back but Hawks still win.
Cairns on a high, Tassie on a low, must win for both! JJs … just.
Melbourne will expect and receive a fight in Adelaide, its depth a key.
The rivalry revitalised, New Zealand must beat Perth to be truly credible.
Sydney has too many weapons for “Sobes and the Castaways”. Kings win.

NBL RANKINGS – WEEK 13
This          Last
Week       Week   Club
  1               1        Melbourne (14-4) It’s “bounce back time” after another Taipans snap.
  2               2        Perth (11-7) Can win across the Ditch and would silence doubters.
  3               8        Sydney (10-8) A 2-0 round would be huge but 1-1 will suffice.
  4               3        New Zealand (8-9) Getting it together but Perth is the big scalp.
  5               6        Cairns (9-11) Winning losing losing winning, guess that's consistent.
  6               4        Tasmania (10-9) Have fallen from favour and must right the ship.
  7               5        Illawarra (7-9) Chugging along nicely and host beatable Phoenix.
  8              10       Brisbane (8-11) Still unreliable but dethroning Kings would be huge.
  9               7        South East (9-10) Another week in for Creek, Nader better, must win.
10               9        Adelaide (5-13) Improving but not grooving. United too much.