Hoops

Timing of Finals Games

Gotta say, from a spectacle point of view, if you want basketball fans to watch this regardless of affiliation, then the NBL needs to look at the scheduling.

Game two was very ugly, and it was clear by the 2nd quarter that NZ were struggling in this one. Cats got some confidence, and with the D struggling made it look better.

Obviously from a league perspective, you'd hope next years GF is Hawks v Adelaide (or similar) but if there's travel like this again, they've got to allow for better recuperation.

Maybe the mooted change to allow a DP to travel will change things up, and teams will recruit a genuine 11th man? But as we saw with NZ, its difficult to run that deep on your bench.

If it goes the distance it will be 3 games over 4 days and 18 hours. Extremely stupid i think.

How many of those things can you achieve while getting games on FTA and not dragging the series out for two weeks?

... or Top 1 ;)

Viewership TV numbers in NZ for Game 1 may be very low considering it's an 11.30pm NZT start on Wednesday.

Would have loved to see Game 1 in Perth on Friday (because NZers can stay up until 1.30am on a Friday night/Saturday morning), then Game 2 in NZ on Sunday (could have got Vector then I think and game times of 7.30pm NZ/2.30 Perth would have worked) and then Game 3 in Perth on Friday night (11 March)

> > Jawai will be stuffed by G3.

> Do you mean "Q3"?

I think they meant pizza 3

The NBL app is showing the game 3 time as 1pm Western, 4pm Eastern.

Can't imagine that's right, given Gem's timeslot has been noon WST all season.

Game 3 is in the TV guide on 9Gem as 10.30am Sunday Perth time. Hopefully that isn't the actual tip off! Not much of a spectacle/marquee event if it's in a junior sport timeslot.

I realise that this kind of smashed together series is common, doesn't make it right though.

Be interesting to see what crowds there are for game 1. I was s toss-up, but I'm betting on their being a G3, so I will buy a ticket to that.
Although I would still love to see the Cats win in 2.

It is good that G2 will be live on 9-Gem.

Shame the Breakers are not playing at Vector as well.

Game three sold out fine in 2014 in exactly the same circumstances.

I'd imagine the only reason tipoff is still TBC is negotiations with TV about the timeslot, it wouldn't be them jerking TV around. To keep it in the same slot they've been using all year would require a midday tipoff in Perth, they might be trying to avoid that.

Other than that...they've scheduled the lower-drawing semis on weekends, to maximise crowds, the grand final during the week because they can without having to worry too much, they've got game three in the live FTA slot...what more could you want? If it were scheduled for the 4th, 10th and 13th everyone would complain about how long it was taking.

Game two will also be live on FTA, so even better.

Thats why I think if the Wildcats win game one they will have won the series. A quick travel for both teams back to Nz and then back to Perth again.

Newley signs with Lithuanian Champions

Golden Star Boomer Brad Newley has signed with Lithuanian club Lietuvos Rytas in a two-year deal.

The 25-year old shooting guard is coming to Rytas from Besiktas in Turkey, where he spent this season.

Rytas won the 2010 Lithuanian Championship with Newley’s Boomers teammate Aron Baynes suiting up for the club.

Newley appeared 28 times in Turkish League averaging 17.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists. Besiktas reached the Playoff Semifinals, where Efes Pilsen eliminated them with 0-3.

Before Besiktas, Newley played two years for Panellinios. In his second year he had 10.1 ppg and 3.1 rpg in EuroCup for 16 games. In Greek A1, Newley added 10.6 ppg and 4.4 rpg for 28 games. Newley appeared at the Greek All-Star game in 2008 (3-point contest).

Last year Newley returned to Australia to take part in the 2009 FIBA Oceania Championship and had 13 points five rebounds in the opening game and led the Boomers with 20 points, five rebounds and two blocks in the return game in New Zealand.