CROSS OVER DRIBBLE

A Dima of hope: The giant 7'2 centre Dimakopoulos will have a huge say in the first two games of the next rounds for the Mavs. Photo by Krista Healey

3-Minute Read

Does the “Greek Freak of Central” change the Mavs finals chances?

The first three games will… The impact of Ioannis will be fully understood when the Mavs take on the Sabres, Panthers and the desperate Lions needing to win as well. In those games the matchups will be Haygood, Starling and Dowdell. The Mavs are 1-8 and with five teams on 6-3, at least 9 wins may be enough to get them in but they must at least beat every team within that bracket. Likely the Warriors are the only team they can drop to and even then I still think they’ll need 10-0 from here on in so there is no room for error.      

Can York get all her Lions on the floor before its too late?

If they do they are back in the battle… So much of a teams record has reflected the impact of “the train” hitting some harder than others and this is definitely the case for the Lions who have not had most of their full-strength lineup on court at all in the first half of the season. At 1-8 they have home games against 3 of the top current 6 with two of those on Sundays which can give any team a chance. We know the potency of this Lions team as they demonstrated in a half against the Rockets in Round 8; They too have no room for error but will “if” they get the full contingent on court, show some pride and be in the race…

Do the Bearcats need more from Andre Washington?

If the piece fits… The import has been playing his role but similar to other imports he needs to grab that starting five position. Averaging 9.7 points at 43 percent, 4.8 rebounds and playing under 20 minutes a game; to complement DeSantis and Sheppard’s games they need the 7 foot plus centre firing right now if they are going to improve their 3-6 record.    

How high is the ceiling for Lachy Olbrich?

We haven’t even come close yet… The Adelaide 36ers rookie is probably the most exciting prospect to be coming through and the advanced growth that has occurred since his COE return has seen him literally come in leaps and bounds. Minus Koop and Coleman, Olbrich’s quick development and close to average double double of 19.1 points at 53 percent and 9.9 rebounds is just the tip of what this SA rising star can do and would already be a deserved winner of the Frank Angove medal for 2022. Retaining him locally and for NBL now becomes the priority.

Can the Rockets win it again with just Jamar Akoh in the front court?

There were some serious questions just before the break… The Rockets looked like they were cruising the first part of the season however maybe a reality has settled in that hit them hard at Round 7. The Flames stunned them the night after the COE, they scrapped past the Lions then the Panthers and Eagles belted them at the Lights. The key aspect of these losses was the 42, 41, 40 and 36 rebounds compared to the season average of 46 for the season. There’s a chink in their armour no doubt having slipped to 6^th on the table and the front court now exposed; it has to be fixed quickly by Nyberg and the brains trust of North if they are to contend again.  

Can Daly and Spear capture their spark and lift the Sabres through the finals?

It all rests on the form of the dynamic duo… The Sabres have been so solid but twice this season they have been found it in two games against the Eagles and the Warriors. In those games the average for Daly and Spear was 21.5 points, 10 rebounds and 8.5 assists between them; they need about 35-40 points, 15-20 rebounds and 12-16 assists per game to make the Sabres a real threat in the second half of the season.      

Will the splits cost or enhance the Panthers finals chance?

They’ve kept the door ajar both ways… When it comes to season splits the Panthers have won and lost 7 of their games by single figures with the wins against the Flames, Lions, Tigers and Mavericks in danger of being reversed. They however have not lost by more than single figures this season meaning it could have the reverse effect. They should turnaround the games against the Bearcats so it’ll come down to the Warriors and Sabres losses being turned around. Their destiny is more in their hands than others from here on in…    

Are the “college kids” the answer for the Flames?

They’ve had a big impact in a short space of time… The lift in the Flames four game winning streak has come from some regular faces in Green and Lycett but that might not be what has also lifted the Flames form in the last few games. Pittsburgh States Cam Huefner and Bellevue Bruins Aydan Janssen showed some late season form in 2021 and both are likely to add to the Flames firepower especially when Ray Harding (who has missed the past fortnight) returns to the active roster. Huefner already top scored for the Flames with 21 and 19 and Janssen can also put points on the board. It might be the difference of the Flames going from finals placer to genuine contender.     

Are the Eagles “foxing” or is the inconsistent form a warning sign?

I’ve seen a switch flicked at different times… Andy Simon’s Eagles are an enigma in the sense of they are no where near their best currently from what we’ve seen this season but also have thrown up some unusual results. Twice this season against contenders the Sabres and Rockets they have destroyed both teams in a half then got turned inside out by the Panthers and the Warriors. While Doyle a key component was missing from that Panthers game and DJ was only playing his first in the Warriors one, maybe expectations were much higher and yet they sit 6-3 in second on the table without getting into even third, fourth or fifth gear. That’s a scary prospect if your questioning whether this team is going through the motions then is about to swoop in for the kill or the loss to the Flames showed its not as clear cut as we “all” thought…    

Can the Warriors “finish the marathon” this time?

This is the last stand for a majority of this group… They’ve completed part one of what they aimed to do with a just short buzzer beater the difference between a blemished and perfect record; but there is still much more to do. Managing expectation, learning from the past seasons where strong starts have faded to misguided hope, sticking to what they’ve done this season without getting stuck in the mire of the waiting game and making sure all the roster are raring to go mid-August. They only need to look at the veterans of the group and some of the talent surrounding them all to know this group can be the champions but it won’t be like this in future seasons. Their window is closing with this squad but all the pieces are there, and they won’t want to miss the opportunity and that I think will keep them focused and be at least one of the two teams on the last day of the season…

The Rockets came from 1-6 last season to win it all and with some splits easily overturned amongst the middle tier; the league is alive for all ten clubs. Make sure you keep up to date on the NBL1 App, Website and here on the Cross Over Dribble…       

Is she the "Close-r" that the Sturt Sabres need to go deep into the finals this season?  Photo by Snap Shot Photography

3-Minute Read

How many wins can the Lions get to finish their second year of “re-growth”?

4… With one already up over the Warriors that broke the drought, the Lions should beat everyone that’s around them on the table except for the Eastern Mavericks who will be making a push for a finals spot. If two of those come against Warriors and Rockets then there must be an upset in there; the best chance the two Sunday afternoon fixtures at the Den in July against the Eagles and the Flames. I think they’ll get one of those two and in those other defeats make it a very hard exercise for their opposition.

Who needs to get going for the Mavs to make a charge at the finals?

Kaila Gabriel… The Mavs have plenty of pieces in place including some serious paint presence and if Olivia Bradley comes back from Sapphires in an uber aggressive mode and looks at shooting more outside shots in that mode they’ll make a charge. The one who knows can lift is Gabriel averaging 2.6 points, 2.1 assist and 2.2 rebounds, if she can lift that shooting percentage to 30-35 percent and points average to close to double figures which if its Toowoomba Mountaineers QBL version 2018 version of her in second half of season (7.6) they are still alive…

Is Eliza Joynes about to show what she can do?

Maybe she will… Joynes stepped up for the Warriors in their last game against the Sabres with a career high 15 point and 10 rebound double double. The attributes she has can help the Warriors in the second half of the season and help Tunour-McCarty and Winter in the scoring department. With her size and ability, using her in on-ball actions will become a necessity for a competitive outfit in the second half of the season.  

Do Grace Facchini and Lily Zbierski need to see starter minutes?

YES! Both these players have shown they are the part of the future of the Rockets and I love the way they both play the game. Both are getting 8-12 minutes a game in 2022 and realistically with 2-7 and each team ahead of them on the ladder likely to inflict a few losses in the second half of the season, turning an eye to 2023 may not be a bad idea. The Rockets need another aggressive scorer and stretch forward and Facchini with already an average of 5 points at 42 percent and a couple of double figure games and Zbierski with 4.6 points and 2.7 rebounds and a 17 point haul including three triples against the Panthers; they are ideal players to up to 20-25 minutes a game in this line-up. Bails, Facchini, Taylor/De Francesco, Zbierski and some more of Awur Ajak at times.

How do the Eagles be “More than Simons?”

Mon Hanna… Its time for the import to really find her groove and grab one of those two starting forward positions as her own. Averaging 3.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in 10 minutes a game currently those numbers have to triple to really take the spotlight off Sam and Jess Simons getting it done night in night out. Bella Stratford spoke to The Hoopsters NBL1 Basketball Show about the team spreading the load amongst the group especially if the other two are silenced by opposition defenders. Sometimes you have to throw the key piece regardless of what form into the cooker of the starting line-up and see what they can do…

Can Coleman be the piece that delivers the championship to the Flames?

She’s the missing piece… I was big on the Flames being in the top two by the time the regular season concluded and even with a record of 5-4 under Terry-Jo McNamara they are still a huge threat to do that. The addition of Coleman just strengthened them further in the last month and her numbers are tracking sharply north quickly with an average of 17 points and 12.6 rebounds in her last three games. The test of whether she is the key comes against Panthers, Tigers and Bearcats in their next five games, contenders that will tell us if the Flames are burning bright or about to turn out the light…

Are the Tigers about to “sharpen up”?

You have to give it to them they pick their moment… Rebounding and finding enough consistent scoring winners on the floor was a chief concern when the MVP and Halls medallist exited stage left to the West; The Tigers seems to have covered those bases now with three key inclusions McKendrick, Skinner and have just added one more in import Jaedyn De La Cerda. McKendrick’s numbers early were a concern but then turned it around in a huge patch with an average of 20 points in her last five games to couple with her and De La Cerda is by the looks of things early going to give the Tigers pace and buckets. That means it doesn’t all rest on Yaeger and therefore Tigers are primed for a shot at back-to-back championships.   

Is Fejo fast becoming the most influential player in the league?

Affirmative… The biggest indicator of this was not in the NBL1 but watched her at the 3×3 Hustle and that exhibition match showed off so much of her ability not all her pace and quickness but her ability to finish one on one at the rim and strength that she has regained in her body after maternity leave. Every game I’ve watched or seen for the Bearcats this season she can turn the game in an instance for her team and consistently has performed to the point we are now talking Halls medal contention. I’m hoping a WNBL club snaps her up quickly after the season though as with these attributes, a cross-code swipe could come from nowhere and nab us of an extremely talented player.

Can the Sabres get one more to really step up to put them in contention?

It depends whether you want to tamper with the formula or not… The Sabres once again prove some doubters wrong by their list getting it done as a genuine collective although Williams has been a key piece of that as an undersized five this season. They are so hard to beat at the Cave with their press and match up zones but if they are to really shake the challenge tree for the championship they need someone to be the go-to scorer who will put the ball in the hole at the crucial time; that this year before the ACL would’ve been Tayla Brazel no doubt. My prediction is that the closer of game in the second half will already be halfway there in name, Emily Close. She averages 7.1 points per game and stepped up when Mathews was down last game; she can do it again you feel…  

Can the Panthers win it all without Levicki?

Yes but the odds have lengthened significantly… The biggest move of the off-season came off-court in the past week when we learnt that Levicki’s move to AFLW Port Adelaide meant curtains for the 2022 season and possibly beyond for the #2 rebounder and #3 scorer. That’s going to be tough nigh impossible for Richard Dickel to replace but perhaps they were aware anything like this could happen. When the import signing of Izzy Osk Siguardardottir occurred; it raised eyebrows considering how potent the Panthers were already at the time. In hindsight though it was a smart move as she slots straight into the five position as we saw against the Rockets and with her in that slot; the most important piece of the lineup comes from Jade Johnson. She has warmed into this season slowly but has exploded now with 16 and 32 in her last two games. With history already against them, they are still the favourites but have to find a way to get to the big dance first…

The second half of the season with such an even women’s competition however is bound to throw up some unexpected outcomes and what will be a thrilling ride for supporters of all clubs. Make sure you keep up to date on the NBL1 App, Website and here on the Cross Over Dribble…