Wrapping 6: Here comes King Joe
TweetIT'S unprecedented. It's unusual. It's uncanny because it's the Sydney Kings, once again shocking us all by bringing in a US coach in Joe Connelly.
I mean yeah, we all dig that he's "here to help" but maybe if the club let coach Damian Cotter in on some of its recruiting moves now and again, he might not need the "help".
The Kings were busy touting King Joe's arrival as a "welcome addition" to the coaching staff because, well, let's face it, what head coach DOESN'T want input from an American assistant-coach management has flown in?
To suggest this is "typical of Sydney" as a means of explaining why the club has trouble going in the same direction - e.g. forward - would be to accurately simplify it.
It's been known for a while now the Kings were bringing in "help" but it's nice too when management butts out long enough for the team to isolate itself, play as one and whip Adelaide by 22.
"Connelly will take on the role of specialist assistant coach and will play a part in player
development, strategic development planning while placing a strong emphasis on player
engagement and mind management," the Kings' release said.
Mind management? I think the Kings showed after blowing a 25-point lead in Adelaide but five days late smacking the 36ers 106-84 that their minds are in pretty good shape. Can the 36ers borrow Joe for some "mind management"?
Connelly spent three seasons with the NBA's Washington Wizards as an assistant coach, his appointment as a specialist coach the first time an NBL club has - according to the Kings - "hired a
coach in such a pointed role".
Forgive us out here in Innocents Land for thinking there may be something pointed near Cotter's back.
"We are lucky to have Joe joining us at the Sydney Kings," said Tim Hudson, Head of Basketball
Operations.
"Joe brings something completely unique to the Sydney Kings and the NBL as a whole in that he has a specialised skillset that will compliment our coaching staff as they continue to mould and empower this talented team."
KINGS CAME BACK: It was tough in Adelaide but Sydney bounced back at home.
Mould and empower. Hmm. How about the club moulds and empowers its head coach to run the show as he sees fit so a fair assessment can be made on exactly how he's doing?
WHAT a great round again for our elite leagues, Cairns ending - not that unexpectedly - Melbourne's winning streak in one of several high quality games.
The WNBL's facelifted Perth Lynx again showed it was definitely in the playoff picture, claiming Dandenong's scalp again, then rocking the Spirit in Bendigo.
Kayla Standish made a triumphant return too, helping the MAC Adelaide Lightning to their first road win of the season, somewhat spoiling the party in Canberra celebrating Jessica Bibby's record-breaking 378th game.
BRIAN Conklin being charged by the NBL for "striking with an elbow" and additionally "unsportsmanlike conduct" suggests the league has had enough of reckless arm flailing.
The Townsville Crocs' import has been a model citizen for two years, claiming the league MVP last season.
But his attitude over the past two weeks hasn't done him any great service. Suffice to say it would surprise if he escaped penalty this time around.
Nate Jawai being charged for striking Tom Abercrombie when he mistimed a block? That one's just silly.
BASKETBALL ON THE INTERNET, PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
SO many Wildcats contributed to their come-from-behind win over Illawarra that it's tough to separate them, but then, they did lose on the road to New Zealand.
The Breakers had terrific performances from Tom Abercrombie, Corey Webster and Charles Jackson, while some of Cedric Jackson's passing was breath-taking.
But who stood out for the B.O.T.I. NBL Player of Week?
Sydney Kings replacement import Al Harrington, of course. Big Al shot his NBL career-high of 27 points, his three straight 3-pointers in the second quarter breaking open the Kings' win over Adelaide.
Harrington also pulled down 11 boards and whipped out five assists in a fairly significant performance.
NBL PotW
Rd1 Todd Blanchfield
Rd2 Kirk Penney
Rd3 Jerome Randle
Rd4 Corey Webster
Rd5 AJ Ogilvy
Rd6 Al Harrington
MUCH tougher in the WNBL but I'm going for a bench player this round in Perth's Carley Mijovic.
Notorious for floating outside the 3-point line, Carley took only three triples coming off the bench against Dandenong, finishing with a game-high 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting, PLUS three offensive boards.
Even Oscar Forman was impressed!
The Lynx won 83-66, then headed east to beat Bendigo 86-73 after a 54-37 first half, Carley backing up with 16 points on 4-of-7 shooting (that's 61% from the floor over two games).
For someone who has been struggling to establish her credentials, that was a very strong round and also helped Perth establish its credentials, Carley's prize - a sausage roll - warming up even now in the pie oven.
WNBL PotW
Rd1 Tess Madgen
Rd2 Suzy Batkovic
Rd3 Sami Whitcomb
Rd4 Suzy Batkovic
Rd5 Gabrielle Richards
Rd6 Carley Mijovic
YEAH, NO KIDDING
IT'S good to see the guys calling FoxSports NBL TV games pay such close attention to the basketball items on show at the FoxSports News station.
Had anyone calling the Sydney Kings-Adelaide 36ers game paid attention, they would have seen/heard new Sixers import Jerome Randle repeatedly say how much he dislikes being called "Antman".
You recall, a week ago someone on the commentary team in the middle of a two-hour self-promotion - "Follow me on Twitter! Let's get Antman trending! I've named him Antman!" - went to town on it ... "big time".
But Fox's Sports News boys were quick to ask Randle how he felt about it and he hated it.
(Bit like Nathan Jawai hating a particular nickname some of the Fox guys seem to insist on wanting to still call him - not those in Perth though.)
Randle (below) is much happier with "Handles Randle" or "Zero to 100" which, full credit to him, Dan Ewing quickly picked up on.
No names needed here but for a particular commentator, he maybe should note at halftime, NBL teams don't go "to the changing sheds".
Continue to enjoy the work of Casey Frank across the ditch, even when the Breakers are only ahead "by sivin".
And good work to Shane Heal for asking the right questions of Brian Conklin at halftime of the 36ers-Crocs game.
Shano couldn't get the smile off his face that all the booing at Titanium Security Arena wasn't for him for a change.
BIGGEST WINNERS/LOSERS
CAIRNS bringing Melbourne's unbeaten streak to a halt (a Holt?) at nine easily makes it the NBL's biggest winner, the Taipans fairly emphatic and also showing Chris Goulding can be stopped.
WITHOUT question, Illawarra was the round's biggest loser after, for the second time at home, being incapable of holding on to a double-digit lead with a period to play as Perth motored over the top of them, yet again.
OVER in the WNBL, Perth Lynx stayed at home and won, then came, saw and conquered Bendigo on the road making them easily the round's biggest winners, reasserting their relevance in the fight-for-the-finals.
BEATEN at home and helping revitalise Adelaide in the process, Canberra was the round's biggest loser, still unable to break through for a win and making Jess Bibby's historic 378th WNBL game something of a poor party.
NBL Round 6
PERTH WILDCATS 99 (J Beal 26 C Prather 19 M Knight 16; Knight 12 rebs; Beal, Prather 4 assts) d ILLAWARRA HAWKS 96 (A Ogilvy 25 K Lisch 25 K Penney 19 O Forman 11; Ogilvy 10 rebs; Lisch 4 assts) at WIN Entertainment Centre.
SYDNEY KINGS 106 (A Harrington 27 J Cadee 22 M Thornton 17 T Garlepp 13 J Khazzouh 10; Harrington 11 rebs; Carter 6 assts) d ADELAIDE 36ERS 84 (J Randle 22 D Johnson 15 E Ere 11 A Petrie 10 M Creek 10; Johnson 9 rebs; Gibson 6 assts) at Qantas Credit Union Arena.
NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 88 (C Webster 28 T Abercrombie 20 Ch Jackson 15; Abercrombie 11 rebs; Ce Jackson 11 assts) d PERTH WILDCATS 80 (C Prather 15 N Jawai 14 M Knight 11; Jervis 10 rebs; Beal 6 assts) at Vector Arena.
CAIRNS TAIPANS 82 (C Gliddon 18 M Starks 16 M Worthington 9; Worthington 10 rebs; Craig, Starks 4 assts) d MELBOURNE UNITED 70 (D Kickert 17 S Holt 17 T Blanchfield 16; Majok 14 rebs; Holt 4 assts) at Cairns Convention Centre.
ADELAIDE 36ERS 89 (J Randle 22 D Johnson 17 E Ere 11 M Hodgson 10; Johnson 16 rebs; Ere 4 assts) d TOWNSVILLE CROCODILES 65 (B Conklin 21 J Jett 12 L Henry 8; Conklin 12 rebs; Norton 7 assts) at Titanium Security Arena.
WNBL Round 6
SYDNEY UNI FLAMES 84 (T Tupaea 24 K Ebzery 19 C Boag 10; Ebzery, Boag 7 rebs; Ebzery 5 assts) d ADELAIDE LIGHTNING 79 (M Ruef 18 L Mitchell 17 M Dombkins 15 T Robinson 11 K Standish 10; Ruef 9 rebs; Mitchell 7 assts) at Brydens Stadium.
SEQ STARS 78 (I Ibekwe 20 D Stallworth 14 R Jarry 14 L Mansfield 10; Ibekwe 13 rebs; Mansfield, Lewis 4 assts) d MELBOURNE BOOMERS 62 (T Madgen 18 M Garrick 17 E Penaluna 12; Kunek 6 rebs; Madgen 4 assts) at Logan Metro Indoor Sports Centre.
PERTH LYNX 83 (C Mijovic 21 S Whitcomb 16 B Laney 16 L Tomlinson 11; Tomlinson 9 rebs; Lavey, Whitcomb 5 assts) d DANDENONG RANGERS 66 (J Kennedy 12 A Pickrel 11 S Blicavs 11; Blicavs 11 rebs; Cumming 6 assts) at Bendat Basketball Centre.
ADELAIDE LIGHTNING 78 (K Standish 20 A Ciabattoni 15 K Bowen 14 L Mitchell 12; Ruef 13 rebs; Mitchell 3 assts) d CANBERRA CAPITALS 71 (J Bibby 20 A Bishop 19 R Montgomery 14; Bishop 11 rebs; Montgomery 4 assts) at Canberra Civic Centre.
PERTH LYNX 86 (L Tomlinson 17 S Whitcomb 17 C Mijovic 16 T Lavey 11; Laney 6 rebs; Lavey 7 assts) d BENDIGO SPIRIT 73 (B Snell 16 K Griffin 15 K Harrington 13 G Richards 11; Richards 13 rebs; Wilson 6 assts) at Bendigo Stadium.
TOWNSVILLE FIRE 85 (S Batkovic 17 M Cocks 15 C George 11; George 13 rebs; Murray 5 assts) d MELBOURNE BOOMERS 57 (T Madgen 21 E Penaluna 18 ; Penaluna 6 rebs; Madgen 6 assts) at Townsville RSL Stadium.
Online
Adelaide Lightning, easybeats no more: http://bit.ly/1lqD0sW
How the 36ers saw off the Crocs: http://bit.ly/1OMIBWZ
Aftermath of Crocs win: http://bit.ly/1lqDDmv
TIME-OUT
Well done to all the sporting clubs and organisations who took a minute's time-out on the weekend in respect of the fallen in Paris.