Here is the mid-season report card as published on the NBL website
Overall Record: 9-4
Home Record: 8-0
Road Record: 1-4
Ladder Position: 2nd
The Good
The 36ers are having a much better season than last year. They started the season strongly at the pre-season Blitz and have continued it into the first half of the season. So far they have won all eight of their home games and, with another eight home games left to play, find themselves in a strong position. Prodigal centre Paul Rees is back this year and its like he had never left. Whilst his stats arent spectacular, its the intangibles such as his experience and contribution to team chemistry that make him an important piece of Phil Smyths puzzle. Scoring has always been a strong suit of Phil Smyths teams and once again the 36ers free-flowing offence has the 36ers leading the league in average points per game at 105. Willie Farley (another former Sixer who is back in the fold), Brett Maher and Dusty Rychart currently rank second, third and fifth in the league in scoring respectively. Farley (22.9 points per game), Maher (21.3), and Rychart (21.3) are all strong MVP candidates despite the fact that they regularly steal votes from each other (as evidenced by the trios inability to crack it for a Philips Player of the Week gong so far).
The Bad
Although the 36ers are a much improved side on last year, they still have some hurdles to overcome. Their consistency at home is perfect but their performance on the road needs to be taken up a notch. Rees is also struggling with injury, with troublesome back spasms a concern. If Rees cant shake them, the 36ers may loose one of their most valuable and veteran players and their one true legitimate big, which is crucial to getting to the Grand Final.
Grade
B+: An excellent start but the 36ers need to stay on the ball.
Prediction
Adelaide has an outstanding home record and, if they can win more on the road, the season will be good for them. If the 36ers continue to stay on their game and do not lose Rees, they should end up in the top four and have a good chance of making it into the final and possibly winning the championship.
Overall Record: 8-8
Home Record: 3-3
Road Record: 5-5
Ladder Position: 6th
The Good
The good news for the Bullets is that their imports have pretty much picked up where they left off last season. Bobby Brannen is scoring on average 17.6 points per game and Kevin Freeman is racking up 20.7 and is the fifth leading scorer in the league. They also clean up after themselves and others, combining to average 19.8 rebounds per game. That makes the dynamic duo an elite import tandem in the Philips Championship and a combination that can win the Bullets games on any given night. In more good news, after a shaky start (see The Bad below) the Bullets are the form team of the league having won their four of their past five games. With the likes of Freeman, Brannen, Stephen Black, Derek Rucker and Simon Kerle on their roster, the Bullets are - if youll pardon the pun loaded on offence. They currently rank third in the league in team scoring at 102 points per game.
The Bad
Despite establishing themselves as title favourites after a stable off-season, Joey Wrights Bullets misfired early. After winning their opening game, they dropped four straight and showed a maddening lack of consistency until recently. This slow start has been a hurdle that Brisbane are still overcoming as they try to establish a home court advantage. Wright has really blasted his troops on several occasions and they have responded. Still, their early season difficulties exposed several problems. The Brisbane backcourt is relatively short and can be taken advantage of by taller guards. Up front, beyond Freeman and Brannen the cupboard is bare as was exposed when Freeman sat due to injury. Despite the rebounding of their imports, the Bullets are third last in the league in total boards (48 per game). Another pressing concern is the Bullets apparent lack of defence, which sees them allowing opponents to score a league-worst 104 points per game. Combine that with their league-worst average of 24 fouls committed per game and you spell trouble.
Grade
B: A disappointing start but yet the Bullets are still well and truly in the hunt. If they can address their rebounding and defence, by the end of the season this could well be an A.
Prediction
That loss against New Zealand aside, their recent form reversal indicates Brisbane may be on the up. If their fans can get behind them for their remaining eleven home games and the Bullets continue to work on D and the boards, they should well and truly be in the top four fighting for the Philips Championship.
Overall Record: 5-11
Home Record: 3-3
Road Record: 2-8
Ladder Position: Last
The Good
Buffed-up import, Chris Burgess, is making a huge impact for the Taipans this season. In much better shape then he was when he debuted in 2003/04, Burgess is proving to be a reliable scorer averaging 19.7 points per game. Thats the best on the team and he also leads the Snakes in most other categories too. Burgess is in fact the best rebounder in the league in all three boards categories, averaging 5.4 offensive and 8.7 defensive, for a total of 14.1 all up. Veteran Anthony Stewart is also showing solid form for the Taipans, averaging 15.8 points per game. It is his teams defence however that must have Cairns coach Guy Molly smiling (although in last place that is no doubt a rare occurrence right now). The Taipans are the stingiest D in the league, limiting opponents to just 93 points per game.
The Bad
Of course, stopping the other team scoring is one thing, but scoring yourself is a whole other kettle of Snakes. The Taipans havent been able to take advantage of their defence as they are shooting the ball at just 43% from the field (second worst in the league). Yes, the Taipans have faced a difficult schedule of road games to start the season with almost two-thirds of their games so far away from home (largely, it should be pointed out, because of the unavailability of the Cairns Convention Centre during the first two months of the season). Yet Cairns are also just 3-3 at home so far. They only lost five all season in Cairns in the whole of the 2003/04 season, so the Taipans need to address this situation if they hope to make their second-ever appearance in the finals. Finding some consistent scoring assistance for Stewart and Burgess is also a must and the Taipans are attempting to rectify this problem by bringing in a new import to replace Marcus Timmons.
Grade
C: Although they get an A for effort that is about the only good mark we can give the Snakes so far this season.
Predictions
On current form this team will go nowhere near the championship this season. We shudder to think what their record would be if Burgess wasnt there. Its hard to imagine them making the playoffs from last but they have a strong run of home games coming up that will determine their fate.
Overall Record: 7-7
Home Record: 6-3
Road Record: 1-4
Ladder Position: 5th
The Good
Its hard to imagine after last season, but the Pirates are in the eight and making waves. The most important addition to the team in the off-season (other than new head coach Adrian Hurley) has been import Brian Wethers. An exciting athlete, Wethers is currently leading the league in scoring at a clip of 23.5 points per game. Just quietly, he is also our tip to win the slam dunk title in Townsville in January. Wethers teams with fellow import and waterbug Kavossy Franklin to provide an electric combination which has fans coming back for more in Hunter. Another big plus for the Pirates has been the addition of consummate role player Russell Hinder. Hinder, a blue-collar type is averaging just a tick off a double-double at 9.7 points and a career-high 9.9 rebounds. Rusty has been a solid addition for the Pirates and his hard-nosed approach to defence has helped Hunter lose the easy-beat tag born of last seasons 2-31 record.
The Bad
Though they have dramatically improved, the Pirates have still had their struggles on the road. Five of their six wins have been on their home floor but the Pirates have had just one win in four outings away from Newcastle. Hunter have established a homecourt advantage but the next step to becoming a contender is to win on the road. The Pirates also need someone to step up and score besides Wethers. The next top scorer for Hunter after Wethers and Franklin (16.8) is Geordie Cullen at just 12.8 points. Whilst Cullen is capable of upping that average (he scored at around 18 points per game last season), he has largely played in a role off the bench this season behind Hinder and Melmeth. The Pirates need another reliable scoring option to help ease the load on Wethers and Cullen might have to be it.
Grade
B-: Great improvement and a solid effort. Not worthy of a top grade as they arent yet an elite team but they have made great strides in a short period of time.
Predictions
Maybe next year they may have a chance to play for the Championship but this year they look destined to battle at around 5th or 6th place. Still, after last season, thats something to be thankful for!
Overall Record: 6-9
Home Record: 5-2
Road Record: 1-7
Ladder Position: 7th
The Good
The Tigers seem to be picking up speed, confidence and points. Even though they have lost more than they have won, they consistently look poised to explode. Nobody, but nobody wants to play these guys in the post-season. Led by their veteran core of Andrew Gaze, Lanard Copeland, Mark Bradtke and Darryl McDonald, the Tigers have experience coming out their ears. Gaze is currently averaging 20.1 points per game. Whilst that is amazingly low compared to his career output, it is still good enough for seventh in the league in scoring. More good news for the Tigers is the continued improvement of young guard Darryl Corletto. Some would say he was always this good but never got the chance to play, sitting behind the Gaze-Copeland-McDonald troika for a number of season. Either way, Corletto is producing and leads the league in points per 48 minutes. Perhaps the best news for the Tigers though is the return to action of oft-injured big man Neil Mottram. When Mottram joined the Tigers in 2002/03, he averaged 11 points and five rebounds per game before having knee surgery. More importantly, he appeared to finally provide assistance in the middle for centre Mark Bradtke. Last season however Mottram played just five games before undergoing a second operation. The 205cm forward/centre made a modest return for the Tigers in Round 10, seeing under eight minutes of court time and failing to score. For Tigers fans however it was enough just to see him back in uniform.
The Bad
Whilst Mottrams return is the good news, he could also be part of the bad news if his knees cant hold up to the pounding of the Philips Championship. If his knees fail again, that leaves just Bradtke and veteran David Stiff to man the middle. Stiff is averaging numbers that are amongst the worst of his career and Bradtke has a sore back, which has seen him miss games already this season. Given Hogey is the spine of the Tigers D, thats very bad news. More bad news is the play of veteran Lanard Copeland, who is averaging just 13.1 points per game. Thats almost five points less than his previous career low. Whilst his minutes have been reduced this season and that has undoubtedly affected his production, it shouldnt have made such a drastic difference. The Tigers still look solid but they have yet to show any signs of being a contender. The veterans still get it done but are they still among the best in the league?
Grade
B: The Tigers are still doing their thing and appear poised to improve but we cant rate them any higher just yet.
Prediction
The more things change, the more they stay the same. The Tigers will likely end up around where they did last year. That is, capable of winning a playoff game but not quite able to go further. On current form they will make the playoffs but only as a lower seed. The possible addition of Rashad Tucker however could shake things up however so stay tuned.
Overall Record: 5-9
Home Record: 4-5
Road Record: 1-4
Ladder Position: 10th
The Good
In their last game, the New Zealand Breakers were strong in defeating Townsville 118-107 behind a mammoth game by Ben Pepper (34 points and 19 rebounds). Despite making the move across the ditch, Pepper is having another good year averaging 15.6 points and 12.4 boards a game. That gives the Breakers a true centre, something which many teams in the Philips Championship lack. Ben Thompson has also been a solid bench option, shooting 47.2 percent from beyond the arc while Aaron Olsen (13.8 pts and 2.5 assists) is also playing well. The pending addition of veteran import Marcus Timmons to the Breakers squad as a replacement for the departed Shawn Redhage also should give the Breakers a stronger scoring threat as well as extra experience.
The Bad
It appears Pepper will need to replicate his 34-point and 19 rebound effort pretty much every game for the Breakers to win. NZ have played the majority of their games at home and have failed to establish any sort of significant homecourt advantage. Mike Chappell has dropped from his 23-point average last season to 15.6 points a game this year. Paul Henares play at the point guard spot has been erratic and Pero Cameron hasnt been able to live up to his international reputation in the Philips Championship so far. Worse, internal turmoil swirled around the team for a time with coach Frank Arsegos security publicly questioned by the media. Those issues were swiftly and soundly dealt with by team GM Peter Chapman, who confirmed Arsegos tenure, but it cant have helped the morale on a losing team.
Grade
C-: The Breakers have been a major disappointment given the addition of Pepper and Shawn was expected to lead them to the playoffs.
Prediction
With the majority of their remaining games away from home, it does not look good for the Breakers this season. Despite the close nature of the competition, it is hard to imagine them making the playoffs. If they are to do so, they will need to turn their form around quickly. Pepper needs to continue to perform nightly while Chappell, Henare and Cameron need to lift their production.
Overall Record: 10-6
Home Record: 4-3
Road Record: 6-3
Ladder Position: 4th
The Good
Rookie coach Scott Fisher had his team firing at the start of the season and they have continued to play well through the second month. The Wildcats boast the best away record in the league at 10-5. In fact, the Wildcats are the only team in the league to have a positive road record. Tony Ronaldson (17.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game) is having a solid year and Peter Crawford (14.9 points, 5.6 boards and 1.9 steals) is having a breakout season. Even without injured centre Matt Burston in the middle, the Perth Wildcats are more than coping without much inside presence. If Ontario Lett can fill their needs in the post, than the Wildcats are looking good.
The Bad
The impact of firing Rashad Tucker could make or break the Wildcats season. Even considering the reported attitude problems, it will be the on-court adjustments that will be major for this team. Making such a major move mid-season when your team is travelling well is either a stroke of genius that leads to a title, or a dangerous chemistry experiment that backfires. Fitting replacement import Lett into the system will likely take some time. Without Burston, the Wildcats also lack a true centre. Overall Perth lack depth on the bench and further injuries make them susceptible later in the season.
Grade
A: Perth has been playing above expectations and Fisher has done a marvellous job with the team.
Prediction
Perth has played the majority of their games on the road and now faces a strong run of home games to the playoffs which should benefit Perth immensely. If the Wildcats keep winning on the road and take advantage of their home-game filled schedule, they are looking at a top four spot.
Overall Record: 10-5
Home Record: 7-2
Road Record: 3-3
Ladder Position: 3rd
The Good
The defending NBL champions faced the new season without league MVP Matthew Nielsen and with two new untested imports. Many expected the Kings to struggle and be a lower end playoff team. However CJ Bruton (17 points and 4.9 assists) and Jason Smith (18.7 points, 5.9 boards and 3.6 assists) quickly stepped into leadership positions for the champs and have helped Brian Goorjians team re-establish themselves as a contender. The outstanding play of rookie Luke Kendall before his injury and the admirable job by off-season acquisition Ben Knight (14.6 points and 9.1 boards) filling in Nielsens large shoes, has helped the team continue to be dangerous.
The Bad
The loss to injury of Kendall for the season and Bruton for six to eight weeks obviously looms as the biggest danger to the Kings. Kendall is one of the few pass-first point guards this country has produced of late and was an outstanding defender. Bruton was also flourishing in his new shooting guard role before his elbow injury. The Kings have to hold out until Brutons return and will look to imports Mark Sanford and Rolan Roberts to help them do so. In the meantime, Luke Martin will anchor the quarterback position but he needs to be more consistent. The Kings continue to lack post depth and Roberts addition as a replacement for Thalo Green is designed to try to alleviate that problem. Before his arrival, Knight was definitely a lonely man in the paint. Brett Wheelers injuries have definitely hurt this team, as it was hoped he could provide a steady presence inside to compliment Knight. Sanford remains somewhat of a question mark, as he has yet to produce consistently despite some individually spectacular games.
Grade
B+: The Kings have done well despite being decimated by injuries. At one stage they were even on top of the Philips Championship ladder, so it has been a solid effort so far.
Prediction
Two obvious factors will influence the Kings season. Firstly, their new import Roberts has to perform well and be a legitimate post presence. Secondly, the Kings must scrap together enough wins before Bruton returns. The Kings should be able to keep in touch and, when Bruton returns, have a strong home run. They will likely end up in 5th or 6th spot and be late-season dark horses for the Philips Championship.
Overall Record: 6-10
Home Record: 4-2
Road Record: 2-8
Ladder Position: 9th
The Good
The Townsville Crocodiles looked to be having a rebuilding year, and the Crocs are certainly having their growing pains so far this season. The addition of imports Casey Calvary and Robert Brown was always going to mean the new Crocs would take some time to gel. With the addition of rookies Brad Newley and Adam Quick to a core of young talent that includes Greg Vanderjagt and Kelvin Robertson, Townsville got very young very fast. Townsville are looking good on their home floor of the Swamp with a 4-2 record. Newley (12.5 points a game) and Quick (7.6 points and 4.5 assists) are two very promising youngsters who look to have a solid future in the league. The Crocs can also look forward to the return of Pat Reidy, who should provide welcome help in the paint. Boomer John Rillie is also starting to hit his straps and he gives the Crocs a dangerous perimeter scorer who will stretch out the defence.
The Bad
The Crocodiles have an abysmal away record with only two wins from eight games. This could be blamed on their youth but veteran heads like Rillie and Rob Rose should have helped overcome this problem. The Crocodiles need to find ways to win on the road if they are to contest for a spot in the eight. Defensively, they give up way too many points by allowing opposition teams to score on average 104 points per game (second worst in the league). They are also the worst rebounding team in the league, averaging just 45.5 caroms per outing. These two key areas must be addressed immediately by coach Ian Stacker if the Crocs are to maintain hope of a playoff berth.
Grade
B: This year was always going to be a rebuilding effort with many talented youngsters but the Crocs should still have more wins on the board.
Prediction
Townsville have a favourable second half schedule with more home games. This should improve their record but, if they cant record some away wins, they will struggle to make the playoffs. Townsville are looking to compete for the seventh or eighth spot but may not quite get there.
Overall Record: 6-9
Home Record: 5-3
Road Record: 1-6
Ladder Position: 8th
The Good
Import big Nick Horvath (20.5 points and 11.1 boards) has had a sensational debut in the Philips Championship. His play has been somewhat overshadowed by another American centre in Cairns Chris Burgess but Horvath has been one of the premier post players in the league so far. Hes strong and finishes around the basket, providing an inside target for the Razorbacks perimeter players. Second-year player Steve Markovic has shone at times with a couple of big games such as his 19 points against the Kings at the Superdome. Boomer Sam Mackinnon (14 points, 7.5 boards, 5.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.2 blocks) and human fly-swatter Simon Dwight (15.5 pts, 9.5 boards and 3.2 blocks) continue to be solid all round cornerstones for the team which came oh so close to a title last year.
The Bad
Given the good news, just what is wrong with the Pigs? Theyve not been getting the Ws despite one of the strongest starting fives in the league. It appears that the team is lacking a go-to guy with the departure of sharpshooter John Rillies. Horvath is posting good stats but in the fourth quarter no player has stepped up to demand the ball. Someone, probably Mackinnon or Dwight, needs to do this for the team to win. Another weakness is depth, as apart from Markovic the Razorbacks have no true bench. The loss of hard-working grunts Russell Hinder and David Pennisi might actually have hurt the Razorbacks even more than the loss of superstar Rillie. The Pigs are also coughing the ball up on too many occasions, averaging 20 turnovers a game whilst scoring at just 93 points per outing (second worst in the league). This is partly due to the Pigs shooting an NBL-low 30 percent from the perimeter. Thats definitely not good news when youre taking almost 25 treys a game.
Grade
C+: Even with Rillies departure and their shallow bench, the Razorbacks should be performing better. Most teams would envy having Horvath, Dwight and Mackinnon on the same team.
Prediction
The upset over the Kings was a positive sign for Mark Watkins team. It was encouraging to see 14,500 fans at the Superdome but to keep any newly-won fans, the Razorbacks have to keep rolling. Someone has to emerge as a true help from the bench and a clutch player must be found. The Razorbacks are currently in eighth and face a battle to stay in the playoffs unless things improve dramatically.
Overall Record: 10-4
Home Record: 7-0
Road Record: 3-4
Ladder Position: 1st
The Good
Undefeated at the Sandpit and sitting on top of the Philips Championship ladder has Wollongong Hawks fans smiling from ear to ear. Brendan Joyce has overcome a perceived lack of height with an up-tempo style of game coupled with aggressive full-court defence. Darnell Mee, Mat Campbell and Glen Saville Joyces Dobermans - choke teams on defence and each can also destroy a team offensively on any given night. The Hawks lead the league in defence, giving up just 91 points per game. Mee has been superb. The canny veteran is averaging 16.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 2.1 steals so far this season and has flirted with a triple-double on a number of occasions. Former Victoria Giants import Adam Ballinger may soon be nicknamed BP as the quiet achiever of the Hawks with 18.0 points and 8.1 rebounds a game. Ballinger has been one of the best buys of the season. Andrew Rice is also fulfilling his role nicely whilst the Hawks bench may well be the most underrated in the league.
The Bad
The Hawks high-octane style and full-court defence has worn out opponents but will it eventually wear out the Hawks too? Their new modus operandi has overcome height problems so far and led to a strong first half of the season but their legs may tire and teams may well figure out how to play against the pressure. Playoff basketball is renowned for being a half-court affair, which could stymie Joyces game plan. The lack of legitimate size is also a concern. So far the Hawks have worked around it but teams may eventually exploit their weakness up front.
Grade
A+: The Hawks were written off by many but have emerged as the best team in the NBL so far. They deserve full marks and go to the top of the class.
Prediction
Despite initial concerns over their height and style of play it has worked well so far. The Hawks are undefeated at home and boast a good away record. With Mee, Saville and Campbell all firing, this team will always be difficult to beat and a contender. Wollongong look like being in the top four at the end of the regular season and possibly even in first place.
