Hoops

2019 NBL ladder predictions

Brisbane (Cadee goes 1/19 in a big game)

My only ladder prediction is that South East Melbourne finishes 9th

Melbourne (Goulding raining threes ALL DAMN YEAR, Ware trash talk king)
Perth (2nd after regular season, but win it all, Damo DPOY again)
Illawarra (surprise packets)
NZ (smart, TOUGH, better systems than Sydney)

Sydney (Randle has to carry them for long stretches. Bowen will ball out)
Adelaide (Joey suspended 2 games after sack whacking Aylen)
Brisbane (Cadee goes 1/19 in a big game)
Cairns (Shame for Cairns, but they lack stars)

My only ladder prediction is that South East Melbourne finishes 9th

There were plenty of times last year, when Adnam came on and gave Melbourne a shot in the arm. A well deserved championship ring.

While Wilson's team may have been 12th, they were only 2 games out of 6th in what was a very tightly contested mid table battle in the league. He was also one of only 3 players on that team that made consistent contributions, and was clearly the best of the three, with the next best likely to play a big role in Cairns.

I think Wilson will surprise some people this season. Kid can play.

Nah I'm only kidding about top 3. We'll make the eight

Not sure where we will end up (Cairns). Ask me again in February :)

Is there anyone at all besides the delusional Manu who thinks Cairns won't be bottom 2?

"Sydney don't go past seven players, will struggle if lisch, Newley or Bogut go down for any period of time. Randle will be good, kickett ok,, Wear okand pineau ok, the rest don’t look nbl quality, no matter what there resume says."

Are you kidding? Wear can't hit a pond with a rock. Pineau - fumble, turn-over, 3 second violations, soft fouls and one everytime he fouls.

Adnam is a gun scorer who holds a championship ring. Wilson is MVP of SEABL. Deng Deng has shown quality ball, and Bowen has import qualities at 18 years old.

This is what will go down at the Kings:

1. Kings will get rid of Wear and select 2 new imports.

2. Kings will start losing games.

3. A player will come up with an "injury".

4. Gaze will use the injury as an excuse.

5. Kings won't make the play-offs.

6. Gaze and JVC are given the boot by Quodos.

7. New coach next year: Bevo.

Im a Kings fan, not the usual negative type either, but cannot see them in the Top 2. I am hopeful of a Playoff run. The current mishmash of players is the strangest lot I have seen. I think they missed Kickert a lot at the Blitz, he has been one of the better scorers in the preseason games Ive seen.

Bogut is going to prove a major issue if they don't win the bulk of their games. He has already vented many frustrations in a manner which players normally never would. Not a bad thing (for fans), but not great for team harmony. I'm hoping his preseason is just a slow wind in to the season, but the stats don't suggest there is as much left in the tank as I'd hoped.

1. United- originally had Sydney but Kennedy looks the perfect fit.

2. Sydney- Bogut will keep the ship steady and get the talent on the same page. Wear will go and Bogut might help select a new import.

3. Perth- Strong system. Decent Aussie group and will keep rolling through imports if unhappy.

4. NZ- Deep. Experienced. Long looks good. Ili can step up.

5. Adelaide

6. Illawarra- chips on their shoulders and Bevo is a master coach

7. Brisbane- They look talented enough but....I dumno. Just a vibe I guess. But they just smell like they might underachieve.

8. Cairns - Too many questions on Jawai's health. The two new imports look talented but are young. At least one should struggle but looking at the roster they all need to be pretty good for them to succeed. More roster turnover than most teams but unlike say Illawarra, the coach isn't a proven performer who we know could still get them going.

Hard to tip. I haven't paid much attention to pre season results.

Adelaide
Brisbane
Cairns
Illawarra
Melbourne
New Zealand
Perth
Sydney

;-)

I should've mentioned the loss of Newbill will hurt though I rated him their best import last season, very underrated player.

NZ because of their depth. Great depth.

They can take people off the dribble, can go get a bucket both inside and on the perimeter (Grown Man and Webster), they can rebound (Wesley, Long, Delany, Moore, Abercrombie), shooting (Ngatai, Weeks, Abercrombie, Richard, Webster, Long can stretch), they can access each other from both inside and out (Ili can penetrate, Wesley is an outstanding passer), they're athletic. I'm big on them and I think Ngatai will break out. They can defend, Moore is a Draymond Green. Rim protection. They have the package

What's the argument for NZ making the four in a competitive league? Am I forgetting something special about their roster?

White, damo and brandt avg mins? Let's not let facts get in the way of a good story

White, damo and brandt avg mins? Let's not let facts get in the way of a good story

...... perth unlikely .............due to the refs......

What's the argument for NZ making the four in a competitive league? Am I forgetting something special about their roster?

Perth and Melbourne look strong. Sydney have talent and should get past early bumps. It's possible that one of Adelaide and Illawarra are not going to fall as dramatically as expected. Who would you bet on NZ to beat out? Or is it lack of faith in ADL/ILL?

All imports are new faces which is regularly risky. Change in coach. Brought in Weeks, Wesley, Majok and Webster. Lost Pledger, Loe, Vukona and Penney. The incoming set are pretty handy, but if you were offering the half-empty view (exaggerated for effect), you'd call Webster a chemistry-killing chucker, Weeks a team-hopping headless chicken, and Majok barely got minutes with Melbourne. (I thought Wesley was critical for United, so will leave him alone!)

Sydney
Perth
Melbourne
Illawarra

Adelaide
Cairns
New Zealand
Brisbane

W-L Team

20-8 Melbourne
18-10 Sydney
16-12 Perth
16-12 NZ
14-14 Illawarra
12-16 Adelaide
12-16 Brisbane
4-24 Cairns

adelaide - up tempo.... run and gun.... dont stop ...a bittava chance...
...... perth unlikely .............due to the refs......

but Adelaide was actually rolling with the very best possible line ups.

I don't understand people rating Illawarra so low or anyone thinking Brisbane will make the semi finals. With Cedric Jackson finding some form and Anderson showing his old wares it is very likely for me that they will either make the four, or they will be around the mark.

Brisbane has the strangest team make up yet again. Last year they had every mediocre power forward in the league and now they have every mediocre point guard. I don't really want to hear about how Gliddon and Cadee are Boomers, because they're Boomers in a spot where most teams splash out on imports and the best Australian point guards are largely playing in other leagues. Brisbane aren't going to do anything this season, Bairstow or not.

Adelaide overachieved at the Blitz in my opinion. Just-so-happened that Deleon was able to chuck his way into a good game and that was enough to be the difference. Other teams played deep into their benches and had injuries but Adelaide was actually rolling with the very best possible line ups. Only real bright spark I see is Wiley. Of course Johnson will continue to deliver but outside of that there's nothing there to suggest they're a genuine title contender - an outside shot at the fourth spot MAYBE.

I still think Melbourne are the team to beat. Perth aren't going to start missing playoffs this year. Sydney will do just enough to get in. And the fourth spot is between Illawarra, New Zealand and to a lesser extent, Adelaide.


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Melbourne
Perth
Sydney
Illawarra

New Zealand
Adelaide
Cairns
Brisbane

Melbourne
Sydney
Perth
Adelaide

NZ
Cairns
Illawarra
Brisbane

Melbourne
Sydney
Perth
New Zealand

Adelaide
Brisbane
Illawarra
Cairns

Here's a prediction it wouldn't surprise me if the Kings sack Gaze midseason and make Bogut player/coach.

NZ should make it imo. Perth isn't at all guaranteed a finals spot. They'll probably make it but if they miss it's no surprise

"I am laughing at the adelaide predictions at the bottom. Happens EVERY year and EVERY year since Joey joined, Adelaide has proven them wrong."

I'm laughing at you for accepting mediocrity as success.

I think the fact that everyone has very different predictions means it’ll be a close season which is what we all really want.

Sydney
Melbourne
Cairns
NZ

Perth
Brisbane
Townsville
Adelaide
Illawarra

Not sure I'd put Perth above Melbourne....

Sydney
Perth
Melbourne
Illawarra

New Zealand
Cairns
Adelaide
Brisbane

I really hope that the semi finals can go 3 games each as that would have added spice especially with the NSW derby.

My tip is Sydney v Perth Grand final series with Sydney winning 3-2 and gave 5 being a sell out at Qudos Bank Arena

Agreed for the most part except I'd have the bottom as:

7. Daylight
8. Moonlight
9. Brisbane with the exposed dud of a coach Lemanis leading a strangely compiled squad

Found this on stuff.co.nz, interesting interview with the Breakers former PG Kevin Braswell, good read.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/basketball/6738913/Kevin-Braswell-survives-thrives-against-all-odds