Author: Tristan Prentice

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.

36ers by 14 points

General Shannon Shorter set the tone early for the Sixers performance: Photo by Cairns Post 

Randle dished to Ellis and Todd Blanchfield to give the Kings an 8-0 start before Matt Hodgson went into beast mode early after some lean weeks. Two fouls early on Jeremy Tyler had Kings coach Andrew Gaze rocking in his chair, Randle and Shannon Shorter trading baskets and looks before Gaze blew a timeout not keen on getting in on the Sixers running game. The Sixers hit the front through two and1s from Shorter posting up on Randle and Cadee before Majok Deng knew where his old teammate was going and deflated the ball with the block shot. The Kings however had made a solid start with a 28-25 lead at the first change.

A tight first few minutes to start the second before Mitch Creek stole the ball and finished the and1 while Blanchfield was having issues with the Sixers switching on offense guarding Daniel Johnson continuously. Clearly with an assignment Adam Doyle was injected into the game to quell Randle but then hit a triple himself to have the Sixers up by 3 halfway through the second. Hodgson picked up his third foul before Deng who replaced him brought the energy with the charging foul, the deuce from the corner then helping Josh Childress tip in. Ellis continued to dominate adding another two before Shorter and Ramone Moore dropped triples. The Sixers leading 60-53 at the half with defence the real loser so far.  

Ellis led the way for the Kings with 17 points while Shorter did for the Sixers with 14 points and 3 assists and rebounds, but Randle had only 3 points to half time. The Sixers were winning the fast break points again 11-4 clearly an indicator of when they are switched on offensively. 

Tyler picked up a fourth digging his elbow into Johnson before Nathan Sobey took Randle the wrong way for the deuce. Anthony Drmic then did the same before Cadee chalked up an eight second violation for the Kings. Moore scored before Ellis made the and1 but the Kings looked almost like they were slipping out of it with only Ellis looking likely. Drmic hit a triple then Sobey hit the buzzer beater to give the Sixers a 83-69 lead at three quarter time. 

Tyler picked up his fifth foul to open the fourth before Sobey stole the ball and ran away for the two handed flush to give them a game high 17 point lead. Randle dropped his first triple of the match before being pinged with a soft one to give Sobey three shots from the free throw line. Shorter and Randle traded triples then Randle drained another to force timeout to the Sixers. DJ became the sixth Sixer into double figures before Moore became the seventh putting Brad Newley in the spin cycle for the and1. Randle then gave up an unsportsmanlike foul on Creek to give the Sixers a unassailable lead and ran away with the game, 108-93.

Seven Sixers hit double figures led by Shorter with 19 points and 6 assists, Sobey with 16 points and 7 rebounds and Daniel Johnson dropped 15 points and 9 rebounds. 

Perry Ellis was the most consistent player from both sides finishing with 26 points and 8 rebounds while Isaac Humphries produced a double double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Randle had 15 points in the second half including 3-8 from long range for 18 points and 5 assists. 

The basketball world next turns it’s head to the Titanium Security Arena for the Boomers qualifier against Japan. The following week the Sixers will take on the Brisbane Bullets who no doubt will be looking to disarm whichever of the Sixers seven shows up. 

Adelaide 36ers 108 (Shorter 19, Sobey 16, Johnson 15, Hodgson 13, Moore 12, Creek 11, Childress 10) defeated Sydney Kings 93 (Ellis 26, Randle 18, Humphries 17) at Titanium Security Arena.

Randle (left) and Shorter (right) will be utilising each other's kryptonite in this titanic struggle. Photos by Zimbio and News.com, edits by CrossOverDribble

When: 5:00pm (ACDT), Saturday, 18^th November

Where: Titanium Security Arena, Adelaide

Broadcast: NBL TV, Fox Sports, Sky Sports, SBS Viceland

 

Last time they met:

Round 3: Adelaide 36ers 114 (Sobey 25, Shorter 19, Hodgson 14, Deng, Johnson 13) defeated Sydney Kings 84 (Leslie 25, Newley 15, Ellis 13) at Titanium Security Arena

 

CROSS OVER DRIBBLE FLASHBACK:

ROUND 4, 2015: ADELAIDE 36ERS VS SYDNEY KINGS    

This week with an old favourite dropping into town, we flashback to a recent classic which I’ll never forget when the Kings came to town November 7, 2015. It at the time was the fourth greatest comeback victory in the league’s 40-minute game era and established the man with the number 9 as a folklore crowd favourite.

Heading into the final quarter, the 36ers trailed by a massive 18 points while our current import Josh Childress was injured for the Kings. In his absence an old mate of his in former NBA swingman Al Harrington was suited up and doing the damage across all avenues. While it was our own hardman veteran Anthony Petrie that sparked the run back into the match, there was no denying that Jerome Randle was leading the way as I said to my mate (and he can vouch for this) when Julian Khazzouh fouled out next to me in the crowd that the 36ers were going to steal this one through our man who then hit a bomb from a long way out.

The crowd were in raptures as I held a “You Can’t Handle The Randle” sign up in the crowd and the comeback continued. One of my favourite ballers in NBL history who I would’ve loved to see in Sixers colours in his prime in Ebi Ere then nailed a dagger to tie scores 95-95 before one of the Kings many revolving door of imports Marcus Thornton went one of two from the charity stripe. Randle then dropped a huge long-range deuce and anxiously nailed two of two from the stripe on the next play before Thornton’s half-court shot missed as the Arena fans celebrated having witnessed one of the great comebacks of the modern era.

Adelaide 36ers 99 (Randle 33, Petrie 23, Johnson 15) defeated Sydney Kings 98 (Harrington 18, Khazzouh 18, Garlepp 16, Cadee 15) at the Adelaide Arena 

 

Key Match-Ups:

Shannon Shorter vs. Jerome Randle

Two distinctive styles of players but this very much is a case of Batman versus Superman probably with a better storyline behind it.

Shorter is the new general of the Sixers at the point position, who’s first option is to reward cutters and the pick and pop shooters before shooting himself. The long-range field goals are the secondary option whilst taking a point guard into the post is the first option which will test the kryptonite of the defensive prowess of Randle in past seasons

In the other corner is the completely opposite game of Randle with explosive speed and handles, utilising screens and off-ball pick action. Randle will try to leave Shorter on his island out on the perimeter and beat him to the basket off reversal drives as he hits the D-Pad up button on his personal PlayStation controller for an isolation play.

Whoever wins the battle of the heroes has a huge influence in the result of this one.

 

Nathan Sobey vs. Todd Blanchfield

Again, it’s a must watch for how Sobey will come out and his last game against the Kings was exquisite as his explosive speed and movement was too much for Leslie and Cadee to contain through four quarters. He was much better last week but knows he needed to make some better decisions in the last few minutes of the match, but he wasn’t alone.

If we were talking heroes before then riddle me this, the enigma of Todd Blanchfield continues to baffle the basketball purists. How can such a gifted player be producing single figure scores for the considerable number of minutes he’s playing? Blanchfield if the Kings are to get a sniff needs to be the third or fourth man in doubles this weekend otherwise people will begin to question very strongly his value to this roster and he doesn’t have a coach with initials DD to pin the blame on this time.

 

Josh Childress vs Isaac Humphries

After a brilliant first half including opening with a put back jam to welcome himself in blue, Childress faded significantly in the second half of last week’s game of the Hawks. No doubt after a large amount of fitness work in the gym this week that Childress should run this one out much better against his former side and as a key big in the side, he’ll need to make an impact across four quarters.

The talented teen is the kind of player that could give the Sixers some huge problems if he gets going. Now supported by Jeremy Tyler in the starting five spot, the minutes he plays can be significantly efficient now he has to play less time and that spells danger for the Sixers. Watch for him to screen for Randle and Cadee and roll hard to the basket off Gaze’s classic offences.

The Last Play

After both teams dropped games against the Hawks last week and last night, this has the makings of a modern classic. The scene is set with the NBL MVP suiting up for the Kings in what I said last week could possibly be scenes (let’s hope a little grace is shown) mirror Mark Bradtke’s return with the Melbourne Tigers after his “European” holiday.

In the long run, the game is bigger for the Sixers as the Kings are coming to town with most expecting them to lose but when they are fielding the team they are this time around, the Sixers must be focused for four quarters otherwise the Kings will dethrone the Sixers and send them into the bottom four. That would bring significant questions of is this the end of the Sixers run of finals given results early in the season. My prediction is that this will be a much tighter affair than last time but that the overall strength of the Sixers will prevail, but Randle will still top twenty points in a loss to his former side. Whatever the result, this one is going to be sport theatre at its finest.

36ers by 9 points