Hoops

36ers @ Perth 17 Oct

Thanks for clearing that up Beantown.
Sixers are still going to have to eliminate TO's if they want to be competitive. All teams will trap now, to get the ball out of Gilchrist's hands and let someone else come up with decision msking.
Ng seems to be the most capable (on paper) at the moment?
Is his time limited because of his defence?
Could he play more minutes?

King James, I generally agree with you. It wasn't a good enough effort from the Sixers last night. As well as their execution, Perth were really intense on both ends in the first quarter. Our guys tried to respond with poise to the pressure, but the intensity never ramped up to match the Cats, and that was what was needed in that situation. A team with a bit of mongrel would have sat a few guys on their asses and tried to disrupt their opponents run.

In the end it is tough when the home team comes out and plays that well in the first quarter, but a championship level team would have fought their way back into the match and we were never able to do that.

One thing that everyone should remember though is that we are not a championship level team. Scotty has only just put this team together and they will have some growing pains. Gilchrist, Groves, Burston and Herbert are all new key players. Guys like Hill and Ng, who we need to get big contributions from, have never had the responsibility of being such key players. Burston and Hill have both been injured, preventing the team from meshing the way it needs to.

I think a big part of the reason we are seeing Balls, Holmes and Herbert starting is because of those two key injuries. Burston not being fully fit leaves us extraordinarily thin up front, because we only have Coops off the bench to spell Holmes and Balls. Hill being injured has forced us to run with Herbert as a starter and while I thought he was good last night, he needs to start making some more shots as he was during pre-season to justify starting if Hill gets fit.

Now Groves is a real puzzle for me. Every time I have seen him this year he has looked pretty solid on the court. He generally handles the ball well and still gets to the basket with ease, but at the end of the game, too often he does seem to end up with horrendous scoring lines like last night.

I do quite like Groves, but I have to say that the team balance does seem a bit off, because we have too many slashers and not enough guys who seem to be able to make a shot outside the keyway! It might be that Groves was just the best guy the team could get for the money they were willing to spend on the second import, but I think what the team needs more than anything is an import who is primarily a deadly jumpshooter but can also defend and rebound solidly.

Anyway, Perth certainly exposed some of the flaws in our team tonight, but we shouldn't get too morose over one flogging! The team is still 2-2 and has a good shot at being 3-2 after playing the wounded Tigers next week.

p.s. Bill - it wasn't zoning that allowed the Cats to nail so many threes early, they were just running guards along the baseline, around low picks and out to the arc. That was getting them just enough time to knock shots down. There was quite often a Sixer on the scene, but just a split second too late. That offence, combined with Perth's trapping to get the ball out of Gilchrists hands, meant that the Sixers were constantly under the pump and not given much chance to run their offence properly. Thats why I give a lot of credit to Perth for the win.

Beantown, I agree on this comment. "Top effort by the Cats tonight. They came out with a plan and executed it to perfection."

Now I am still waiting for Ninnis to do the same for his team. Another season, same crap.

Only read the box scores but if Perth shoot that well, it's always going to be a blowout.
You have a small athletic team, how did you give up so many threes (please don't tell me you zoned)?

Worries for Sixers though as Beantown points out are the turnovers (that doesn't reflect too good on Gilchrist) and not getting Ballinger involved offensively.

The margin makes any further analysis irrelevant. Thankfully you've got the Tigers who don't seem to be able to hit the side of a barn at the moment.

nowhere near good enough. very disappointing but will be good to see how they come out against the tigers on wednesday night.

getting tired of losing the same road trips year in year out. time to find a psychologist who can work the boys over n get results.

Top effort by the Cats tonight. They came out with a plan and executed it to perfection. Thought Gilchrist looked reasonably composed breaking their traps early, but as the game wore on the TO's started to mount. 11 between our two main playmakers is a very bad night out.

Cats did a good job of coming off screens, getting themselves just enough space to get the shot off in the first quarter and they were good enough to knock them down. Have to say I'm very surprised as I didn't pick the Cats to be that great a long range team!

Burston's fitness is really hurting the Sixers now. We need more from him, particularly defensively when up against guys like Schenscher.

The Sixers just aren't as well drilled as the Cats at the moment. They rely too much on creating off the dribble, forget to move the ball enough and don't find a way to get Balls enough shots when it counts.

Their other problem is that not enough guys seem confident shooting from the perimeter. Apart from Ng and Balls, no-one really has shown a reliable jumpshot.

Only positives for me were Coops and Herbert, who both scrapped hard. Holmes was solid as always but is never going to carry the team when its stars don't perform.

Disappointing effort on the road again. Scotty, you gotta figure it out mate!

should we give gerlapp a go??? he did well in pre season

David Cooper 10mins 5Rbs 1as 1stl 1blk 4pts FG2/3
Is our best.

Props to Coops, doing a good job defensively tonight.

Groves doing a good job of penetrating but our big guys need to catch the dam ball!

Ouch the Cats have come out red hot tonight. Sixers need to close their shooters a little better, but having said that, they haven't been that poor. More just the Cats moving the ball very well. 17 point hole will be tough to recover from!

Thanks, have the audio now!

Yea, Ex Idol COurtney Murphy sung the anthem. Ive lost vision. :-(

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,25048786-5005401,00.html

Skip what radio station is playing the game? I have just gone through the entire dial (FM and AM) and got nothing!

Sweet, Radio and TV are perfectly in sync.

I'm tuning in to Rivus for the first time tonight as well. Looking forward to the game. Hope Burston is ready to go and the Sixers put a good game together. Lets go boys!

Paid to watch my first game on Rivus. Fingers crossed it all goes well.

danger game for Sixers. I say "F@&^ it", go for broke boys!

In 'sixers' category is the radio link.

I am posting this purely as information, I will not be entering into discussions as to merits of selection etc ...but here is a list of referees who have got the nod for M2006.

Brad Giersch
Carolyn Tsakalos
Damien Thiesz
Michael Aylen
Vaughan Mayberry

then there are others from Canada, England, India, Malaysia, Malta, Mozambique, Scotland, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa.

Bill Mildenhall and Greg Love are 2 of the 4 referee coaches.

Tony Goodwin (ex NBL player) is Director of Sport, with Sarah Nobbs (ex Lightning) an assistant.

Trevor Baker from SA is a scoretable coach, with Andrew Lea and David McKenzie going over from SA as score table officials, and I am going as a statistician.

The countdown is on!! Good luck to all my fellow SA counterparts heading over (especially if your bunking with me!)