Hoops

Predictions Crocs Vs Cats

"Are the Cats that good?"
Not right at the moment IMO. On paper at full strength I rate us up with the contenders, but we're not in great form right now so with Knight out injured I thought we were ripe for the picking on the road last night.

Townsville didn't appear to have a game plan, and in the end we just plain out-worked them. For our tiny team to out-rebound them 43-25 in their own house they should be ashamed.

Are the Cats that good?

Townsville seem to offer everything, but have just underdelivered

As a Perth fan, I thought the Crocs looked far more dangerous when Crosswell was running things than when Blaylock was out there.
Very happy to escape the swamp with a win. Crocs did an awful job of exploiting their size advantage.

You thought Freeman was good?

Athletic - yes, did a good job on d - yep.

He looks like a young man without to much Basketball IQ. Great physical tools but no idea how to stay out of foul trouble, create his own shot and be an offensive factor.

Not sure I would have have two of him for DeVries.

I agree with you on the refereeing. After watching NBL and NBA for the first time in years I just see a huge gap in the way the game is called.

My biggest beef is over calling. It seems in OZ we still like to beleive basketball is a non contact game. The refs seem to want to call any contact whether it disadvantages the team being fouled or not.

Many many examples on TV last night where cheap almostno contact fouls were called. All this did was confuse players, coaches and the fans.

I mean we have 10 very big guys out there. here is gonna be contact. Call the obvious ones and let the slight ones go. In the NBA players can bump and push with the body but arms are off limits.

Also in the Nba charges are called in a more consistent waywith hooks etc being called.

For what we play players in the NBL we have a nice standard of play which needs the chance to evolve without being over officiated!

Whew .. I needed that been sitting on some of my comments all season!

One more thing too. How may threes were shot last night? Do we take more that in other leagues? Seemed like every second offense was a 3 last night?

Last thing. Why was Luke stuck onthe bench and Ben Allen???

I am done now

I think the Crocs are warm favourites. Schenscher is in great form, Freeman is warming to the NBL and Hinder adds a bit of variety to the front court. As long as Martin and the poison dwarf don't completly disrupt Blalock or Redhage and/or Lisch don't go completely nuts offensively the Crocs will get the W.

This game will be a tough one to pick, but am glad to be able to watch it on OneHD.

The Perth Wildcats appear to be the stronger team on paper, with a strong back-court of Martin, Lisch and Robbins able to pressure the ball handlers of the Crocs and the ever reliable Shawn Redhage there to score and attack the rim.
The loss of Matt Knight for this game will be an issue for the Wildcats in dealing with the size of the Crocs.

Townsville on the other hand will need to take advantage of Knight's absence by continually pounding the ball inside to the big front line of Schenscher, Hinder and Allen. By utilising their size inside and finding open shooters, the Crocs should be able to turn this game into a shootout.

Overall I think that the Crocs size is going to be the difference in the game, but the Wildcats are going to make turn this game into a close contest.

Now I'm no expert, but I'm tipping Perth to have a lead at the Half, but Crocs to pull out the win by 5

Perth will struggle inside without Knight, Crocs by 8

If there is a large crowd expected tonight at Wayville, will they put the temporary grandstands in or will there be standing room only??

Any ideas?