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Wrap-Up #6: Sounds of silence
TweetIT was a busy day yesterday with NBL CEO Fraser Neill pulling the pin but the grenade quietly rolling into a drain.
Losing a man of his calibre, a manager of his quality and an administrator of his understanding is a blow and leaves interim CEO Bret Mactavish with the job of finalising expansion in Brisbane, Tasmania and the second Melbourne licence.
It is no small task but sadly and still, Neill's passing will mean little on the general Australian sporting landscape where - unlike to those of us here - it will just be another blip on an increasingly silent radar.
It has been said before and it may well be said again but the NBL is not sustainable in its present form.
If change wasn't necessary, well we'd still have Gold Coast Blaze, South Dragons and 30 other clubs which have come and gone.
The league has to change for ALL to survive and prosper but until the NBL faces up to that, and the NBLPA also joins in the conversation, all we will continue to have is valuable external pieces such as Neill and Tony Cochrane look in, see the potential, get excited, hit the road blocks, shrug and leave.
And the rest of us will wait to hear which club is on the "bones of this farce" - or some saying like that - this week.
Basketball On The Internet, Player of the Week
THIS was the toughest call in the NBL so far this season with Melbourne's Jordan McRae and Perth's Jermaine Beal clear stand outs in twin wins by their clubs.
Beal delivered 28 ppg at 51 per cent, 4.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists as the Wildcats saw off Townsville and Sydney.
McRae had 24.5ppg at 68 per cent, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists as United knocked off league-leading Cairns and crushed Adelaide.
Beal had a few more points but at a lower percentage but anyone who saw McRae swish 10-of-11 from the floor against the 36ers, with a dunk on Brendan Teys for good measure would have been dazzled.
No, not taking Beal's greatness for granted but getting Adelaide's best regular season home crowd in several years to actually applaud an opponent gives some indication of how McRae was playing. He wins the B.O.T.I. Player of the Week by a hair.
PotW Winners
Rd1 Scottie Wilbekin
Rd2 Brian Conklin
Rd3 Scottie Wilbekin
Rd4 Adam Gibson
Rd5 Josh Childress
Rd6 Jordan McRae
SIMILARLY, the WNBL's Player of the Week is a tough one with Tess Madgen averaging 25ppg at 64 per cent, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists for Melbourne, albeit in two losing efforts.
Sydney's Leilani Mitchell did not have such imposing numbers, with 16.5ppg at 62 per cent, 3.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists.
But it as her play for the Flames which sank Melbourne and her total control of the game in Adelaide which guaranteed a 2-0 round for Sydney and a further foot-hold in the top four. She wins it for me.
YEAH, NO KIDDING
WHILE I understand Wildcats fans are going to consider much of today's Wrap to merely be a Perth bashing exercise, fact is ONE-Ten really need to copy ABC-TV's WNBL coverage-lead and work up a few feature pieces to show when a game in the West finishes early.
As much as I want to hear what Jermaine Beal thinks, and what Damian Martin thinks, and what Matt Knight thinks, and what Todd Blanchfield thinks (how did he sneak in there?) and, of course, what Trevor Gleeson thinks post-game, it so smacks of Wildcats overkill.
Is anyone who is not a Perth fan still watching?
Would a feature on Beal, or Deandre Daniels or Earnest Ross - their stories, background etcetera - not be more interesting, even to non-Wildcats fans?
Obviously not, and so shall it remain until someone "switches the flick."
And as much as I love seeing Mel Marsh on the coverage, maybe next time she interviews Damian Martin, she should be reminded his nickname is pronounced "Damo" ... not "Dummo". (Unless she knows something we viewers don't...)
ABC's interview with Carly Wilson after her 300th game on Saturday, with footage of her from the past and, finally, the true story of her career-long pink socks, was terrific TV on top of a tight game.
So to Sunday and Brad Rosen wishing he could have his halftime questions with Sydney's Tom Garlepp over.
With Perth leading 51-44, I think Brad had his question prepared for a Perth player, then didn't amend it when Garlepp got to the mike. "Tommy what a great first half. You guys should be very happy..."
Um, no.
"So defensively-wise, they've scored 51 points. What have you got to do in the second half?"
Full marks to Tommy for his responses.
And while it wasn't a day Brad will be packing into his commentating highlight reel, did feel for him with the post-game audio issues where not once, but twice, he and Matt Knight got to show off their Rocky and Bullwinkle mime show.
REVIEWS
United v Taipans (M)
THE venue - Margaret Court Arena - was the story here although the confidence Melbourne gathered from coming back from an 11-point deficit during the third quarter to beat Cairns 91-76 was going to be huge later in the round. Jordan McRae had 21 points while Wortho paired 20 points with 10 rebounds.
Flames v Boomers (W)
TESS Madgen delivered a season-best 35 points for Melbourne but it wasn't enough as Sydney held firm 90-78, Leilani Mitchell a star with 24 points, four assists and two boards. Madgen's 35 points came on 10-of-13 shooting and for good measure, she added seven rebounds and three assists.
Breakers v Hawks (M)
NOT unexpectedly, New Zealand won this 71-55. But you would think if a team managed just three points in the third quarter, it would have lost. Of course, Wollongong only scored 13, their joint 16-point total the lowest single-quarter return in league history. The Breakers' 24-8 final quarter then put this away, the Hawks' starters worth 26 points, total.
Wildcats v Crocodiles (M)
PERTH's Guamian recruit "Mr Ross" was Deadly Earnest in the third period as the Wildcats pulled away from Townsville for a 93-78 win. Jermaine Beal swished four triples in the first period en route to a game-high 29 points and Shawn Redhage did well even without the ball with consecutive shots on Mitch Norton.
Waves v Capitals (W)
IT was a great finish with Lindsey Moore's contentious three-point play bringing West Coast to 65-66 before a great Toni Edmondson jumpshot gave it the lead. Jess Bibby then hit a sweet jumper for Canberra to lead 68-67, Cassie Harberts' free throw tying it and Moore hitting the match-winning jumper on the siren for a 70-68 home victory.
Lightning v Flames (W)
UGH. Adelaide's shooting woes continued unabated as Sydney, which looks a happy team, well-coached and on the same page, ran away for a 78-59 win more comfortable than the numbers imply. The Lightning's 28-20 second period was its only one to speak of - a seven-point first quarter speaks for itself - as Leilani Mitchell controlled the game.
36ers v United (M)
ONE of the greatest shooting performances of all time was laid out by Melbourne at Adelaide Arena, underpinning a record-breaking/making 118-79 win over a hapless Adelaide. The 36ers were the New York Nationals to United's Harlem Globetrotters as Melbourne had nine players stick a triple and Jordan McRae and Daniel Kickert kicking it in.
Fire v Boomers (W)
TOWNSVILLE's defence shut down Melbourne, holding the Boomers to eight and nine-point periods in a 75-52 home win. The Batgirl went for 17 and eight, and Cayla 17 and 11, Olivia Thompson's return to her former stomping ground not one to remember.
Kings v Wildcats (M)
BILLED as the great re-match, this ended as a bit of a fizzer, Perth making it now 16 straight wins over Sydney, this time 85-66. Deandre Daniels continued his growth but again Jermaine Beal was The Man, with 27 points. Josh Childress led Sydney with 23 and 12, Kendrick Perry with a spectacular dunk to open the game ... and nothing else.
Rangers v Spirit (W)
SARA Blicavs got the message in Adelaide she had to shape up or sit down and followed her 20-point game against the Lightning with 24 on 8-of-12 shooting as Bendigo maintained its hoodoo over Dandenong 89-75. A 28-17 first quarter established the trend and even 17 points from Penny Taylor could not help the Rangers.
BIGGEST WINNERS/LOSERS
MELBOURNE easily was the NBL's biggest winner, initially by clipping first-placed Cairns, then just a couple of days later embarrassing highly-rated Adelaide in Adelaide. Coach Darryl McDonald (pictured) did his own career a lot of good in getting United ready for the 36ers in two days. Sure, he didn't coordinate shooting 65 per cent from the three, but he did find smart defensive counters for genuine threats such as Adam Gibson.
SADLY have to stay with Wollongong, yet again, as the round's biggest loser, the Hawks needing to show some pluck in Auckland after being plucked by Sydney in the previous round. But when the starting quintet is reshuffled and it produces less than the bench, well you know it's going to take more than talk to right this ship.
CANNOT even begin to express how impressive Sydney was in dismissing Adelaide in Adelaide, on top of topping Melbourne to comfortably make the Flames the WNBL's biggest winner. Shannon Seebohm's coaching performance was sublime as his charges not only took care of business but had fun doing it too. And it showed.
ADELAIDE repeat as the round's biggest loser after again finding the home rings too tough to negotiate and putting in just one quarter of WNBL-standard ball - that's one in the past eight quarters - and while the talent may be there, the on-court direction and fluidity most certainly is not. .
BEEF of the WEEK
HAS someone at ONE-Ten been told it can only cover Perth Wildcats games?
No offence intended but a lot of folks would like to have seen, oo, maybe one or two more Cairns Taipans outings, given their league leadership and 6-0 season-start.
Or maybe, say, Townsville?
As the Blitz winners, maybe the Crocs deserved some consideration other than getting their airing when they are in Perth, of all places.
So let me just see now. It was Perth-Townsville on Friday, Sydney-Perth on Sunday and this week it's Perth-Adelaide, then Perth-Melbourne?
Is there a pattern here at all?
It rekindles memories of the days when Sydney Kings were force-fed to the rest of Australia in much the same manner we now have Wildcat on the menu every week.
It isn't just me though. Dual-Olympian Mark Dalton took to Facebook to express his concern so eloquently, I could not help but hand this one over to him.
"Can we not see the Wildcats anymore on FTA TV for a while? Please?
"The saturation of them on the coverage this season is over the top. Six out of the 12 games so far and four out of the next five including a double-header (again) next weekend? FFS.
"Townsville had their first game on TV on Friday. Guess where that game was played? Perth of course. And from what I can see on the TV schedule the Crocs have no home games on TV."
Mark went on to point out that Nick Marvin, who currently is NBL Chairman, also doubles as CEO/Managing Director of the Perth Wildcats.
Not that we should jump to any rash conclusions. He also pointed out ABC-TV appeared to have no major issues showing WNBL games from "lesser" venues.
Sadly Mark's contention he did not believe Fraser Neill was running the NBL yesterday proved eerily prophetic.
Online
PS
WHAT he said. What he really meant.
United coach Darryl McDonald after his team shot the lights out on Adelaide's black-out night, especially from beyond the three.
SAID - "These guys shoot every day and tonight it just fell for them. Hitting 22-of-34 says it all. I don’t even know what to say about it, to be honest."
MEANT - "Holey sheet. Did you see that? Did you see that sheet Martha Farquhuar? I ain't never seen shooting like that, man."
