Hoops

Projected starting line ups for Rd 1

Sydney are wank!

Bryson doesn't float my boat so far and Khazzouh is SOFT AS TOFU. Gaze is NOT a proven coach, maybe he's good maybe he isn't but there is a learning curve he needs to go on.

Cadee is going to go round CHUCKING and playing like he is on rollerskates.

Maric moves like a dinosaur.

Initial leans:

- Never count Perth out, they are a championship team.
- Take overs in every Adelaide game until they start playing something that resembles defence.
- Sydney are the media darlings but are really just a potpourri of sub-standard players. Unless Gazey gets them going.
- Cairns could be sleepers. Definitely don't agree with the bookies assessment of Cairns as the worst team this season. Sure, arguably the worst roster on paper, but a solid team that competes and at least tries to execute a game plan. Plus Cam Gliddon is pretty good.

I actually think a line up of
Randle
Sobey
Creek
DJ
Jacobson
Would be quick on the wings and great trapping early to set the tone. I feel Sobey will have a break out year, where as Drmic will be good once he finds his rhythm in the league.

Plenty of players have been missing in the pre season. Cairns, Brisbane and NZ especially- Penney, Webster, Woodside, Trice, Jawai, Wortho, Bairstow etc

Who will actually be playing?

Jackson
Goulding
Blanchfield
Andersen
Majok

Andersen had 2-3 weeks off after Rio and barely played in Brisbane.

Williams could potentially take Majoks spot. But I expect Majok to start.

McKay is my favourite for the rebounding title. I think he is exactly the type of guy Perth needs considering what they want to do offensively this season. Defensively he is mobile, and look the leak is going to get a heck of a lot faster so McKay is a great addition. In saying that I would really like to see Ekene Ibekwe back in the league. Underappreciated talent.

I'm excited about the upcoming start to the league proper. I don't put too much emphasis on pre-season results.

McKay was always going to be an interesting pick, especially given in increase in size in other team's front courts. Have to wait and see I guess, especially once we get Matty back.
But for now I'd expect to see Brandt playing more minutes.

I think the starting backcourt picks itself:
Martin
Johnson
Prather.

The front court I think will be a little bit more fluid in Matty's absence, and dependent on match-ups.

Boti predicted McKay will be the first import cut, not sure about that. Bryson looks the favourite to me.

Perth

Martin
Johnson
Prather
Wagstaff
McKay

“He has not been the player we expect him to be and if he doesn’t pick it up, we’ll be in trouble,” Wright said as Adelaide’s lack lustre defence allowed Taipans captain Cam Gliddon to dominate his NBL team’s opening game at the Australian Basketball Challenge at Brisbane Convention Centre.

“Our biggest issue is Jerome,” a candid Wright said.

“That’s the biggest problem we’ve got.

“He hasn’t been himself and that’s our biggest problem so far.

“He can’t play a game like that - he has to have more influence on the game than what he had.”

“We haven’t asked Jerome to be anybody different than who he has been,” Wright said, dismissing any contention his vice-captain was thinking “team first”.

“We keep asking, we keep wondering, we keep hoping that OK, he’ll pick it up,” Wright said.

“We keep coming up with excuses and we can’t keep coming up with them anymore.

“I don’t know what’s going on but he hasn’t been as aggressive. Reality is reality.”

What has been interesting is the play of Randle, he has for the most part looked totally disinterested in the pre-season games and after one of the Blitz games Joey gave him a huge bake in the media.

Sure that can be for motivational reasons but it did seem like Joey really isn't happy with Randle's play especially his attitude thus far.

I think Ferguson is almost a certainty to start. I highly doubt he and his reps would've agreed to him coming out here only to come off the bench.

Before the pre-season games started I thought Drmic too would start for a similar reason to Ferguson but on a much smaller scale obviously but he's done nothing all preseason and Creek has probably been our best player aside from since being made captain his form is too good to leave him out of the starting five.

Randle
Ferguson
Creek
Johnson
Jacobsen

36ers:
Randle
Creek
Ferguson
Jacobsen
Johnson

4 are pretty straightforward. The Ferguson spot could go to Teys or Drmic. Will be interesting to see how Joey manages Ferguson early season.

Lisch
Cadee
Newely
Whittington
Maric

Maybe Garlepp but him Bryson will be main bench IMO

Hawks

Martin
Clarke
Harris
Kay
AJ

Only my guess as Bevo has been mixing it up in pre season with Rotnei coming of the bench a bit

Taipans

Trice
Edwin
Gliddon
Loughton
Egwu

or maybe not :D

Te Rangi and Kenyan are out for the Bullets. Bairstow only a slight chance.

NZ

Woodside
Webster
Abercrombie
Vukona
Pledger

Interesting that young gun Tom Fullarton will be suiting up for the Bullets

Brisbane

Gibson
Beal
Craig
Kickert
Jervis