Basketball On The Internet.

NO-ONE would have been more relieved to see Melbourne United get rolled at home than NBL Executive Director Larry Kestelman.

No, not necessarily in his United boss persona but that particular guy who loves the NBL enough to sink $6million into revitalising it.

Conspiracy theories reign supreme across the NBL regarding United's draw, the "home town" calls which helped it across the line against Perth and New Zealand, right down to Brian Conklin's suspension eliminating him from Townsville's match against ... ?

Yes, United.

Now take a deep breath and ponder the following.

If you had sunk $6million into reviving a competition - and most of us suspect Kaiser Kestelman's investment is probably closer to double that - would your first priority be to the league or to your club?

Would you be thrilled or cringing when a referee makes a blue that favours your club?

Should it not be enough that the said ref then is dropped the following week?

Apparently not because not long after, two zebras collude to get it wrong and the owner's team wins again!

Once again, the refs in question are put out to pasture to consider their folly and, yet again, I am certain the owner of the NBL didn't want to see the game end in the manner it did.

Sure, there are some eyebrow-raisers in the draw but I cannot help feeling Kestelman's influence in such things is more imagined than real.

For example, with his investment in THE LEAGUE paramount, does anyone truly believe he was down at the offices, banging on a table saying: "Make sure United has a dream draw"?

If someone DID make that happen, I'd suggest it was someone trying to curry favour with the owner and NOT the owner trying to feather his club's nest.

Similarly, does anyone truly believe Lord Larry is in a locked room with refs boss Albert Joseph demanding special favours for his team?

It's far more likely human nature kicks in and refs calling games in Melbourne, mindful this is the league owner's team, subliminally err.

When Conklin was reported (again), it was obvious he would do time or get a fine. The fact he copped a game and Melbourne was next on Townsville's schedule was an unfortunate coincidence for the league's Executive Director.

Conspiracy theorists jumped on that, of course. But, bear in mind Townsville's next TWO games were against Melbourne so if the suspension was really to help United, why not give Conklin a two-game suspension then?

It's silly and even sillier to suggest, even though many have.

So on one level - the important league level - I am sure Kestelman was quietly pleased the Crocs came to town, where Melbourne is supposedly invincible, and got the W.

Even better, the boss had been quoted in the Townsville Bulletin about the Crocodiles' future and the need for that city to support its NBL team.

And suddenly, the Crocs beat the top team!

Wow. If you want a conspiracy theory, could Kestelman have influenced that game to make sure Melbourne tanked and Townsville won?

Holy wild theories Botman!

It gets sillier, doesn't it?

So maybe take a deep breath and wonder if you'd sunk a fortune into making a league work, whether you'd be trying to influence the minutiae and risk discrediting all you are doing?

The answer is fairly obvious.

FROM 9-0 to 0-3, Melbourne has two of the NBL's best streaks going.

Meanwhile in the WNBL, Shannon Seebohm's Sydney Uni Flames and Andy Stewart's Perth Lynx surreptitiously have climbed into joint leadership of the WNBL and are making a case they won't easily be displaced.

Coincidentally, both have a terrific two-guard in Katie-Rae Ebzery and Sami Whitcomb respectively, who can turn games on their ear.

 

BASKETBALL ON THE INTERNET, PLAYERS OF THE WEEK, Rd7

IT is hard to go past New Zealand Breakers two-guard Corey Webster for the B.O.T.I. PotW in the NBL.

Yes, I know his 17 points in the road win over Sydney came on 7-of-25 shooting and he hit only 3-of-11 triple attempts.

But he still led the Breakers' scoring and followed that game with a career and NBL season-high 39 points in the top-of-the-table win over Melbourne.

That tally came on 13-of-25 shooting and included 7-of-9 threes.

So for the week, Corey averaged 28ppg at 40 per cent, with 10-of-20 threes (50%), 2.0apg and 2.5rpg.

Pretty decent numbers and certainly enough to earn him the Vegemite-and-cheese sandwich (toasted or fresh ... well, fresh before tomorrow ... then I'd strongly recommend toasting before someone here at the B.O.T.I. Fun Factory and clog manufacturing plant devours it and leaves a note in the fridge saying "Rossco ate it". We're not falling for that anymore Beryl) and cup of iced tea.

NBL PotW

Rd1 Todd Blanchfield
Rd2 Kirk Penney
Rd3 Jerome Randle
Rd4 Corey Webster
Rd5 AJ Ogilvy
Rd6 Al Harrington
Rd7 Corey Webster

THE WNBL winner here was a tight one but given Katie-Rae Ebzery's 29 points at 58 per cent came for Sydney Uni against SEQ in what then was a top-of-the-table re-match, she nudges out Perth's Sami Whitcomb for the lamington.

Sami had 28 at 62 per cent but it was against Adelaide which still is re-establishing its cred. She additionally had three rebounds, three assists, four steals and a block, but also three turnovers.

KR had four rebounds, eight assists and two steals, only coughing up the ball twice. It was close but no cigar for Sami - but that's next round's prize anyway.

WNBL PotW
Rd1 Tess Madgen
Rd2 Suzy Batkovic
Rd3 Sami Whitcomb
Rd4 Suzy Batkovic
Rd5 Gabrielle Richards
Rd6 Carley Mijovic
Rd7 Katie-Rae Ebzery

 

YEAH, NO KIDDING

SOMEONE help me with this because I can't figure it out.

Derek Rucker is - by the length of the straight - by far the best colour man Fox has unearthed or rediscovered for its NBL coverage.

So this week we get lumped with Corey Williams - or Corey Homicide Williams, as Dwayne Russell seems compelled to call him - yet again on what turns into the upset of the week when Townsville beats Melbourne.

Yeah, good question to Mitch Norton: " What's your Instagram?"

Shoot me now.

I must go on record to say, and I'm not being even slightly disingenuous here, how rapt I was to see Steve Carfino during the halftime break of the Kings-Breakers telecast.

Upbeat and happy, it reminded me of how good he was in the days BEFORE he had to carry the telecasts at Fox and/or Ten - when he was the colour man not the colourful man.

He couldn't host - yeah, no kidding - but he was fine alongside a Bill Woods or a Steve Quartermain or John Casey.

STEVE CARFINO: My favourite memory of him.

I'd rather hear him than Mr "Big Time Play", "CG43", "Big Time Shot", "Follow me on Twitter", "Big Time Playah" ... ugh.

Brad Rosen was tidy and efficient again and the return of Andrew "Gazey" Gaze wasn't as calamatous as some expected. Those playing the drinking game by sinking a beer every time Drewey mistakenly called "Illawarra" as "Wollongong" wound up being teetotallers for the night.

Those taking a drink any time Dwayne says: "Who wrote this script" are currently getting AA counselling.

 

BIGGEST WINNERS/LOSERS, Rd 7

FOR a change, there were several major contenders for the NBL's biggest winner, Perth and NZ both winning twice, H&A, but surely it was Townsville? No Conk, no Schensch, no problems beating league-leading Melbourne in Melbourne. The Crocs were #1.

CONVERSELY, Melbourne United was the round's biggest loser, losing the unlosable at home to (then) eighth-placed Townsville, then blown off the floor at Vector by Corey Webster and the Breakers to have their "invincibility" sorely shattered.

THE WNBL'S biggest winner wasn't a standout this round but Townsville - beating first and last - on the road,  gets the nod, the Fire sneaking silently into third spot.

DANDENONG had to deal with the emotion of the day at Bendigo but, considering the Spirit already had played and been flayed by Melbourne, losing to the Spirit severely dented its playoff aspirations and made it the round's biggest loser.

NBL Round 7

PERTH WILDCATS 94 (Prather 20, Beal, Redhage 16, Jawai 14, Kenny 10; Knight 9 rebs; Beal 8 assts) d ADELAIDE 36ERS 88 (Randle 21, Gibson 15, Walker, Johnson 11; Petrie 9 rebs; Randle, Gibson 4 assts) at Titanium Security Arena.
NZ BREAKERS 86 (Webster 17, Pledger, Ce Jackson 14, Bartlett, Ch Jackson 13, Abercrombie 11; Abercrombie 15 rebs; Ce Jackson 7 assts) d SYDNEY KINGS 74 (Harrington 18, Cadee 17, Garlepp, Thonton 12; Khazzouh 7 rebs; Harrington 4 assts) at the Kingdome.
TOWNSVILLE CROCODILES 82 (Norton 15, Kay 14, Steindl 13, Jett 11; Kay 9 rebs; Kay, Steindl 3 assts) d MELBOURNE UNITED 78 (Goulding 22, Kickert 17, Holt 15; Blanchfield 10 rebs; Holt 8 assts) at Hisensitive Arena.
ADELAIDE 36ERS 89 (Randle 20, Petrie 16, Johnson 15, Teys 11, Creek, Ere 10; Johnson 16 rebs; Randle 6 assts) d ILLAWARRA HAWKS 77 (Lisch 19, Ogilvy 17, Penney 15; Coenraad 7 rebs; Penney 6 assts) at Titanium Security Arena.
NZ BREAKERS 80 (Webster 39, Ce Jackson 10, Abercrombie 9; Ce Jackson 9 rebs; Ce Jackson 5 assts) d MELBOURNE UNITED 69 (Goulding 19, Holt 17, Kickert 13; Majok 9 rebs; Tomlinson 6 assts) at Vector Arena. PERTH WILDCATS 91 (Prather 26, Jawai 20, Beal 13, Knight 11; Knight 10 rebs; Beal 6 assts) d CAIRNS TAIPANS 90 (Starks 19, Worthington 16, Burston, Gliddon 15, Tragardh 10; Burston 10 rebs; Starks 5 assts) at The Jungle, Perth Arena.

WNBL Round 7

TOWNSVILLE FIRE 88 (Batkovic 30, Tatham, George 15, Cocks 13; George 15 rebs; Tatham 5 assts) d SEQ STARS 85 (Payne 26, Mansfield 20, Lewis 14; Lewis 8 rebs; Jarry 8 assts) at Logan Metro Indoor Sports Centre.
PERTH LYNX 93 (Whitcomb 28, Mijovic, Laney 15, Burton 11, Tomlinson 10; Laney 10 rebs; Lavey 7 assts) d ADELAIDE LIGHTNING 85 (Mitchell 26, Bowen 15, Ruef 14, Standish 12; Ruef 7 rebs; Mitchell, Ruef 5 assts) at Bendat Basketball Centre.
SYDNEY UNI FLAMES 94 (Ebzery 29, Tinkle 18, Tupaea, Swords 14; Wilson 9 rebs; Ebzery 8 assts) d SEQ STARS 69 (Payne 20, Stallworth 12, Mansfield 10; Allen 8 rebs; Mansfield 5 assts) at Brydens Stadium.
MELBOURNE BOOMERS 78 (Penaluna 25, Kunek 21, Smart 14; Smart 11 rebs; Smart 5 assts) d BENDIGO SPIRIT 58 (Richards 14, Snell, Griffin 9; Richards 9 rebs; Wilson 5 assts) at State Basketball Centre.
TOWNSVILLE FIRE 84 (Batkovic 23, Tatham 17, Murray 12; George 15 rebs; Tatham 4 assts) d CANBERRA CAPITALS 66 (Montgomery 25, Bishop 11, Talbot 8; Talbot 9 rebs; Montgomery 3 assts) at AIS Arena.
BENDIGO SPIRIT 63 (Wilson 16, Griffin 14, Snell 11; Richards, Griffin 9 rebs; Wilson 5 assts) d DANDENONG RANGERS 49 (Pickrel 14, Cumming 13, Blicavs 12; 4 with 6 rebs; Cumming 2 assts) at Bendigo Stadium.

Online

Joey on 36ers' win: http://bit.ly/1I5p7dP

Darnell Mee back in Adelaide: http://bit.ly/1NmyKHq

 

TIME OUT

Thank you to Matt Corcoran for this from Friday's NBL TV game: "I'm alongside my Melbourne United (ex-Tigers) buddy, and every time Homicide says that "Harry bleeds green" or the entire "Froling family bleed basketball", he turns to me in his best Arnie pose and says: "If it bleeds we can kill it."

PS

ROB ... with beverage.