NBL 2020/21 Season

HulkSmash

Just a bit outside...
Jan 7, 2020
163
108
Rent-free in your head
AFL Club
Sydney
Other Teams
NK, NUJ, SK, ST, NSWW, NSWP, MUFC
Tate is off to the NBA, joining Weaver at the Rockets on a 3 year deal.

Personally see him struggling in the NBA. Did very well as a very undersized PF in the NBL where he was able to use his athleticism and speed to make up for his lack of size, won't have those advantages in the NBA though. Not sure he's skilled enough to be a good NBA SG/SF either.

Very surprised he's on a 3 year deal, I would have thought they'd go just the 1 to try him out.

Apparently he was on the starting lineup in a pre-season game this weekend. Houston must rate him highly enough, even if it's just for a pre-season game.
 

The_Game_1981

Club Legend
Pokemon is Life A Star Wars Fan Zombie Lover
Oct 14, 2009
1,151
1,537
A Yellow Submarine
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
East Fremantle, The Exers
Any thoughts on the ladder? Who will be the biggest movers up or down?

I think Hawks will go up and 36ers will be last.

1- Utd
2- Breakers
3- Kings
4- Hawks
5- Wildcats
6- Taipans
7- Pheonix
8- Bullets
9- 36ers

I Reckon:

1. Perth
2. United
3. Cairns
4. Hawks

5. NZ
6. Kings
7. Bullets
8. SE Melb.
9 Sadelaide.

That said I believe anyone I've listed from positions 1-8 can finish inside the top 4 and that the gap between finishing 3-7 will be the slimmest in NBL history.
 

The_Game_1981

Club Legend
Pokemon is Life A Star Wars Fan Zombie Lover
Oct 14, 2009
1,151
1,537
A Yellow Submarine
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
East Fremantle, The Exers
I can’t see how they can with the retirements, injuries and the lack of a 3rd import.

But, this is Perth and those guys always find a way so I have them just outside but wouldn’t be surprised if they make it.

Both the Wildcats and Basketball Australia have written to the immigration board to encourage acceleration of Cottons Citizenship so he can be eligible to play for Australia in Tokyo.
If they're successful in their bid Plumblee is waiting in the wings to be Perth's second Import. which would increase Perth chances quite a bit.
 

Genesis67

Premiership Player
Jun 6, 2006
4,833
2,103
Perth
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Yankees, N'Orleans Saints, Arsenal
Interestingly the Wildcats started Luke Travers in the pre-season game v the Hawks last night. He's a super talent - 19 year old 200cm guard.
Already widely spoken of as the next local star. Kid shows signs of being anything.
 

Genesis67

Premiership Player
Jun 6, 2006
4,833
2,103
Perth
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Yankees, N'Orleans Saints, Arsenal
Any thoughts on the ladder? Who will be the biggest movers up or down?

I think Hawks will go up and 36ers will be last.

1- Utd
2- Breakers
3- Kings
4- Hawks
5- Wildcats
6- Taipans
7- Pheonix
8- Bullets
9- 36ers
Think the loss of Magnay will see Brisbane slide.

1. Breakers
2. Utd.
3. Perth
4. Hawks
5. Kings
6. 36'ers
7. Taipans
8. Phoenix
9. Bullets
 
May 5, 2006
62,726
70,017
AFL Club
West Coast
Agree that our roster looks average, but if you look at some of the players Sydney have had in recent years you'd wonder why they aren't sitting around counting rings. Lisch (naturalised MVP) and Bogut (local MVP), Randle (import MVP)/Ware, Tate, Bowen/Louzada as NS players, Newley, Kickert etc. as solid vets with international experience. Basketball isn't played on paper.

If there's one thing the Wildcats do (other than make the playoffs and annoy Homicide Williams) it's shake things up with import slots. We were last when Cotton joined mid season in 2016/17 and ended up finishing 3rd then winning the finals. Pre-Cotton we had Prather, Beal and Ennis who were great for us and Johnson, Walker, Tokoto, Hunt, White, McKay, Plumlee with mixed results and lengths of tenure. Losing Kay and Martin after losing Brandt last year will hurt.

Cotton's citizenship application has been in since 2019 so isn't some new ploy to get around losing an import slot. Had the Tokyo Olympics gone ahead this year I reckon it would've been fast tracked. If Mooney doesn't set the world on fire and we have an ordinary first half of the season I would not be surprised to see him replaced with some NBA offcast.
 

Genesis67

Premiership Player
Jun 6, 2006
4,833
2,103
Perth
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Yankees, N'Orleans Saints, Arsenal
Agree that our roster looks average, but if you look at some of the players Sydney have had in recent years you'd wonder why they aren't sitting around counting rings. Lisch (naturalised MVP) and Bogut (local MVP), Randle (import MVP)/Ware, Tate, Bowen/Louzada as NS players, Newley, Kickert etc. as solid vets with international experience. Basketball isn't played on paper.

If there's one thing the Wildcats do (other than make the playoffs and annoy Homicide Williams) it's shake things up with import slots. We were last when Cotton joined mid season in 2016/17 and ended up finishing 3rd then winning the finals. Pre-Cotton we had Prather, Beal and Ennis who were great for us and Johnson, Walker, Tokoto, Hunt, White, McKay, Plumlee with mixed results and lengths of tenure. Losing Kay and Martin after losing Brandt last year will hurt.

Cotton's citizenship application has been in since 2019 so isn't some new ploy to get around losing an import slot. Had the Tokyo Olympics gone ahead this year I reckon it would've been fast tracked. If Mooney doesn't set the world on fire and we have an ordinary first half of the season I would not be surprised to see him replaced with some NBA offcast.
Mooney is giving me good vibes to be honest. Seems like just the sort of player that comes to us as a 'good' player, and is then moulded by Trev et al. into 'elite'. His shooting stroke needs work, but it's smooth which is an excellent place to start, and he seems willing to go the mid-range shot that tends to be avoided like the plague by anyone who knows they can't shoot.

I simply cannot shake this feeling that the Cats know something about Cotton's citizenship that they're not letting on. For an organisation that is notoriously smart with its money, the signing of Plumlee on a 'if-then' scenario just sticks out like a sore thumb.
 

HulkSmash

Just a bit outside...
Jan 7, 2020
163
108
Rent-free in your head
AFL Club
Sydney
Other Teams
NK, NUJ, SK, ST, NSWW, NSWP, MUFC
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