If you are heading to the "House of White" tonight, these players are worth the price of admission. Photo by Zimbio
When: 7:00pm (ACDT), Saturday, 1st December
Where: Titanium Security Arena, Adelaide
Broadcast: NBL TV, Fox Sports, Sky Sports, ABC (Delayed 10:50pm)
Last time they met:
Round 16 (2016/17): Adelaide 36ers 101 (Randle 22, Creek 15, Sobey, Ferguson, Johnson 13) defeated Brisbane Bullets 68 (Kickert 20) at Titanium Security Arena
CROSS OVER DRIBBLE FLASHBACK:
ROUND 9, 2002/03: BRISBANE BULLETS VS ADELAIDE 36ERS
We flashback to another moment in coach Joey Wright’s career as he coaches the Bullets for the first time at home also showing his knack for choosing explosive imports that can make a side a contender. Wright had new power forward suit up for the game with an injury to one of the best “names” in the game Bobby Brannen (although I think Rick Rickert is up there too) in Kevin Freeman. It would possibly be a tough battle for Freeman against some experience in the 36ers front court of Martin Cattalini and Paul Rees, but he strung it together right from tip-off.
Damian Ryan the three bomb specialist was on fire early as was Freeman but a combination of a “Lazarus” out of bed Brett Maher and Jacob Holmes had the 36ers up by 3 at the first change. The enigmatic Matt Illman caught fire from the perimeter with three triples in the second before veteran NBL player Simon Kerle found his range with the Sixers leading 56-48 at half time.
The third was lead by another championship import guard in Charles Thomas while Ben Castle was racking up more fouls than a chicken coop. The 36ers holding a three point lead going into the final stanza, Freeman with 22 in the game.
Thomas continued to prove a headache for the Bullets while Randy Rutherford was struggling from the field finally nailed a triple for one from twelve from beyond the arc. The Sixers led in the last few minutes not before the “Cat” and the “Truck” Troy Pilon had a tango then Pilon banked an unlikely triple to cut it to two. Maher sealed it in the last minute with some smart plays to give the Sixers a solid road win.
Despite the Sixers win, Freeman was outstanding with 30 points and 17 rebounds on debut at home for the Bullets signalling his arrival in the NBL as a force.
Adelaide 36ers 96 (Maher 21, C Thomas, Cattalini 17, Illman 11) defeated Brisbane Bullets 91 (Freeman 30, Ryan 16, Helliwell 11) at the Brisbane Convention Centre
Key Match-Ups:
Shannon Shorter vs. Travis Trice
Shorter since a downer against the Hawks has looked the goods and shown he has slotted into the chemistry of Wright’s side. I expect once again that he’ll try and take Trice into the post but will find it slightly more difficult with the Bullets switching their guards on defence constantly between Holt and Trice.
Trice if you remember hit the game winning shot in Adelaide last season and continues to show size doesn’t matter. He’s a different type of scorer that can get to positions quickly off the ball and also finish with contact rolling through the lane. He’s a tough cover for the Sixers so I expect the guards will monitor where he is on the court at all times.
Mitch Creek vs. Perrin Buford
Creek has been flying in the last few months and it showed as he scored valuable minutes against Japan with the Boomers and proved to be one of Andre Lemanis’s most important players in their two game fixture of the FIBA qualifiers. With the confidence of a looming position on the roster when the NBA players come to play, Creek can remind Lemanis once again his value at both ends and be Australia’s next enforcer.
Buford has been the perfect replacement for Torrey Craig and perhaps the same destination the latter headed is where the “lead-man” is working towards. Buford is tearing up our league all be it in a quiet manner and while he doesn’t have the star profile of Prather and Tokoto, 16.9 points, 7 rebounds and a block a game tell the story.
If you are heading to the “House of White” tonight, these players are worth the price of admission.
Daniel Johnson vs Daniel Kickert
Once again for the basketball purists, we’ll see two of the best exponents of the pick and pop method.
DJ in home games is having some heat placed on him and needs to become more of a factor for the Sixers particularly with this match-up. I’d really love to see DJ create in transition but in the half court take the pick and pop option simply without overusing the basketball. Good positions and adjustments on this should see him score more than 15 in the game.
Kickert has already had a practice run for this match with 22 against Japan including a mountain of triple makes so it’s fair to say his eye is already in before tonight. The Sixers will need to watch him as he’s constantly been a threat averaging a solid 13.8 pts per game vs Adelaide since returning to the NBL from Saint Mary’s. If Andersen isn’t around for Boomers selection, Kickert is emerging as fair substitute.
In games between the two they nearly average 100 percent together from the three point line (50 and 46 respectively).
The Last Play
The first FIBA window is done and these two teams are very much already punching for the top four positions in their first hit out for the season.
This series looms as an important one in sorting out the mid-table of the NBL season and the Sixers will be keen to claim game one of this season series. Lemanis has changed the style of the side to an aggressive attacking style led by the three imports but the rebounding seems to lack the power of previous seasons. The Sixers board-men Hodgson, Creek, Childress and Johnson look in form and that’ll spell trouble for the Bullets.
It’ll take a special effort from the Bullets pine in former Sixers Anthony Petrie and Adam Gibson (who should suit up according to sources) to support the starting quintet but the Sixers depth will be too much and they should get a valuable win in the context of the season, and that’ll be a shot in the confidence arm.
CROSS OVER DRIBBLE 