Hoops

How quickly things change in the NBL

Form this year seems to mean nothing. Just about every team has been up and down so far. Some started well but have recently slowed. Some started poorly and have come on lately while others have had a stop start to their form.

Adelaide may have had 2 good road wins last week, but I wouldn't say they are a form team unless they clean the court with Perth on Saturday night. And even then they need to go on with it.

@Steve2K, that's kinda what I was angling at. Does anyone know what Bairstow's injury status is? The NBL game preview is talking about his match-up with Knight in this game, so I assume he's back. I haven't heard anything.

Sydney won't miss Blake and should probably run a few games without him before they make up their minds about a replacement. They might be best to wait until JK has played a game or two, wo they can see what the team balance is like with him back in the side.

I still don't see Melbourne making too many waves, but it's such a close season, anything could happen. I picked them to be minor premiers at the start of the season!

It will be very interesting to see what the Breakers do about Webster. It seems their biggest issue was not that he got arrested, but that he wasn't forthcoming at all about what happened in the aftermath. They're an organisation that prides itself on their One Team philosophy, so if they're light on him and he does end up in trouble with the charges against him, it's really going to wound their brand.

On form, I think Brisbane could win this game, which could precipitate a slide in the Wildcats' fortunes, with some away games to come.

Yeah nice work KET. Also vaguely recalled someone posted some W-L stat breakdown of every team in a post some weeks ago. The score margin may also be a pointer to the 'form' of the team in addition to their streaks. If the margins of the losses were minimal you may also consider that the losing team may not have been slumping as badly, just unlucky maybe.

@Freethrows, a bit hard to make predictions with the high amount of injuries/import turnover this season. United is a different beast now with Goulding and Ware. Bullets still to fill another import slot if they wanna pick one up for a run at finals and Bairstow's condition. Kings have Khazzouh coming back in less than 2 weeks and the Blake saga to finalize yet. Now the Breakers have Webster to deal with.

Taipans then daylight.

@KET, love your work. I was just about to do that! Anyone bold enough to make an end of season ladder prediction at this point in time???

Perth won 4 in a row vs Cairns, vs Breakers, vs Hawks, vs Melbourne

Sydney won 4 in a row vs Hawks, vs Cairns, vs NZ, vs Hawks

Melbourne won 3 in a row vs 36ers, vs Hawks, vs Bullets

Cairns won 3 in a row vs Melbourne, vs Hawks, vs Kings,

NZ won 3 in a row vs Adelaide, vs Melbourne, vs Brisbane

Bullets won 3 in a row vs Sydney, vs Cairns, vs Adelaide

Hawks & 36ers both on 2 consecutive wins at the moment but haven't managed 3 in a row

Which is really the whole point right?

The term "form team(s)" has little value because it has been thrown around so cheaply so far this season.The same could be said for "teams in a slump".

Have any teams this season managed to string together three, let alone four, wins in a row? (I haven't checked or recall).

I don't think 2 wins in a row count as being a "form team", three perhaps, four definitely

Hasn't the term "the form team(s)" been applicable to every team at some point this season?

The statement, if anything, has probably proven more a precursor to a "slump".

The league is so tight that fortunes can change in a single round.

(Yep, upon reflection I pretty well just repeated the whole point of the original post!)

Adelaide have won two on the trot against higher teams but I'd be hesitant to label them a form team. They're only two games on from an embarrassing home shellacking. It's the inconsistency that makes it hard to read them. On their day they're a form team, but will we keep getting that from now on?

An 8-team League should theoretically advantage the adaptable coaches and players.
You need a different look each time you rematch, at both ends.
Relying on a large budget of talent is not enough.