The Adelaide 36ers will enter the 2016-17 NBL season with plenty of confidence, and anything less than a semi-finals appearance will be considered a failure after narrowly missing out last year.
The 36ers are building very nicely for the upcoming season despite some mixed pre-season results – they always have to be taken with a grain of salt.
For every middle of the road team like the 36ers, who finished fifth in 2015-16, it’s probably going to be mixed results all season long. The key will be minimising the games they lose to other middling teams and converting every opportunity presented to them.
Last season ended in disappointing circumstances really, with Jerome Randle leading them through the back end of the season but not able to drive his side to the levels of consistency required to make the finals, despite winning 14 of their 28 season matches.
The 36ers do feel like one of the more settled clubs heading into the new season, with Joey Wright once again at the helm. They made some very good squad retentions – their key playmaker, Jerome Randle – and had a strong recruitment window.
In a competition that is expected to be as close as they come, with nothing really separating a majority of the sides, it is this settled approach that could guide them into the finals.
Squad:
Matt Hodgson, Jerome Randle, Terrance Ferguson, Brenan Teys, Eric Jacobsen, Majok Deng, Adam Doyle, Nathan Sobey, Daniel Johnson, Anthony Drmic, Mitch Creek
Coach: Joey Wright
In’s: Anthony Drmic, Terrance Ferguson, Eric Jacobsen, Majok Deng, Adam Doyle
Out’s: Adam Gibson, Ebi Ere, Anthony Petrie, Lucas Walker, Daniel Carlin
Retained: Matt Hodgson, Jerome Randle, Brendan Teys, Nathan Sobey, Daniel Johnson, Mitch Creek
Depth Chart
| Starter | Interchange 1 | Interchange 2 | |
| Point guard | Jerome Randle | Brendan Teys | Adam Doyle |
| Shooting guard | Terrance Ferguson | Nathan Sobey | |
| Small forward | Mitch Creek | Anthony Drmic | |
| Power forward | Majok Deng | Eric Jacobsen | |
| Centre | Daniel Johnson | Matt Hodgson |
The 36ers squad for the season looks well-rounded and it carries plenty of depth, but the same thing could have been said last season and that didn’t turn out so well.
But there are plenty of reasons to be hopeful for the Adelaide-based club, with experience growing and stability looking strong after they retained six members of last year’s squad.
The centrepiece unquestionably is point guard Jerome Randle, who could well be the best in the league and is one of the early front-runners for MVP.
Randle was signed as a replacement for fellow import Kenyon McKneil who just didn’t fit into the Adelaide club, culture or style.
It was a blessing in disguise, though, and the fact Randle has returned speaks volumes of the club and the way they are being run, because the star guard could easily be earning a lot more money playing in Europe.
To put it in perspective, Randle was the league’s top scorer, dished out a healthy number of assists, made it to the all-NBL first team and also was player of the month in January. For a player who missed the pre-season and first part of the regular season, that is a phenomenal achievement list.
But it’s not just Randle that 36ers fans can get excited about for the season ahead. Youngster Terrance Ferguson has been signed as he has taken the decision to skip college to play in a professional league.
Ferguson has fantastic skills on both ends of the court and will form a lethal guard combination with Randle. His athleticism and ability to run the floor will complement Randle, who should find himself with more space to operate in with Ferguson attracting plenty of defensive attention on the perimeter.
The ever-consistent Mitch Creek will line up again for Adelaide in his sixth season with the club and, after a strong season last time around, he will once again be looking to start on a regular basis and help Randle run the floor.
Creek’s one flaw is that he can get carried away with taking outside shots, as any player can. This could become even more of an issue for Creek this year now that he won’t be a preferred post option thanks to Adelaide’s new bigs, which could well turn him into a potential weakness on the floor.
For Creek to maintain his starting spot which could well come under threat from the 36ers’ backup front court players – likely to be Anthony Drmic, Eric Jacobsen and Matt Hodgson – he needs to be a passer of the ball and take good shots every time he has the ball.
It is this depth in the front court that is almost scary for Adelaide’s opponents. With Majok Deng going undrafted in the NBA and signing with Adelaide, along with the improving Daniel Johnson, the side is going to have a lethal post presence.
This could drag extra defenders inside, which will free up either Randle or Ferguson for the shot outside, or instead force opponents to resort to fouling the big men.
Johnson, in particular, is a very good shooter of the ball from the free throw line, so it is something he will be trying to achieve; getting other teams into foul trouble and earning himself plenty of trips to the stripe.
From the bench, Eric Jacobsen is something of an unknown quality, but at 2.08 metres tall he has all the assets to continue what should be a dominant paint presence for the 36ers.
One player who is a really exciting prospect for Adelaide is Matt Hodgson. He is likely to again play back-up for Johnson after a frustrating season last year when he just didn’t kick on from a strong start.
If he does, though, he could be the vital link between the 36ers going fantastically and being an average, middle of the road team. If he can provide that energy, spark and scoring off the bench, then the 36ers will have that in the centre position all game long, rather than just the time Johnson is out there.
If Hodgson can get his game together, it also means their big front court can play fewer minutes and be more explosive during the minutes they are on the court.
If the 36ers do have a weakness then it is probably their bench rotation, which could come into play especially when you consider the low experience level of Ferguson.
While Nathan Sobey and Brendan Teys are both very good players in their own right, they don’t provide anywhere near the output that Randle and Ferguson will, or a lot of other backup guards, so if they have to be called upon for a long stretch it is going to impact Adelaide.
Otherwise, it is a very strong 36ers line-up for the season ahead.
Schedule
| Round | Date | Time (AEDT) | Opponent | Venue |
| 1 | Fri Oct 7 | 7:30 PM | Illawarra Hawks | WIN Entertainment Centre |
| 1 | Sun Oct 9 | TBC | Melbourne United | Hisense Arena |
| 2 | Fri Oct 14 | 7:30 PM | Melbourne United | Titanium Security Arena |
| 2 | Sun Oct 16 | TBC | Brisbane Bullets | Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre |
| 3 | Fri Oct 21 | 7:30 PM | Cairns Taipans | Titanium Security Arena |
| 4 | Sat Oct 29 | 5:30 PM | New Zealand Breakers | Vector Arena |
| 5 | Sat Nov 5 | 9:30 PM | Perth Wildcats | Perth Arena |
| 6 | Sat Nov 12 | 5:30 PM | Illawarra Hawks | Titanium Security Arena |
| 7 | Sat Nov 19 | 5:30 PM | Brisbane Bullets | Titanium Security Arena |
| 8 | Thu Nov 24 | 7:30 PM | Brisbane Bullets | Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre |
| 8 | Mon Nov 28 | 7:30 PM | Sydney Kings | Qudos Bank Arena |
| 9 | Sat Dec 3 | 7:30 PM | Perth Wildcats | Titanium Security Arena |
| 10 | Sat Dec 10 | 5:30 PM | New Zealand Breakers | Titanium Security Arena |
| 10 | Mon Dec 12 | 7:30 PM | Cairns Taipans | Cairns Convention Centre |
| 11 | Fri Dec 16 | 7:30 PM | Sydney Kings | Titanium Security Arena |
| 11 | Sun Dec 18 | TBC | Sydney Kings | Qudos Bank Arena |
| 12 | Thu Dec 22 | 7:30 PM | Perth Wildcats | Titanium Security Arena |
| 13 | Sun Jan 1 | TBC | Melbourne United | Hisense Arena |
| 14 | Thu Jan 5 | 7:30 PM | Illawarra Hawks | Titanium Security Arena |
| 14 | Sun Jan 8 | TBC | New Zealand Breakers | North Shore Events Centre |
| 15 | Thu Jan 12 | 7:30 PM | Melbourne United | Titanium Security Arena |
| 15 | Sat Jan 14 | 9:30 PM | Perth Wildcats | Perth Arena |
| 16 | Thu Jan 19 | 7:30 PM | Brisbane Bullets | Titanium Security Arena |
| 16 | Sat Jan 21 | 7:30 PM | Sydney Kings | Titanium Security Arena |
| 17 | Sat Jan 28 | 7:30 PM | Illawarra Hawks | WIN Entertainment Centre |
| 18 | Sat Feb 4 | 5:30 PM | New Zealand Breakers | Titanium Security Arena |
| 19 | Thu Feb 9 | 7:30 PM | Cairns Taipans | Cairns Convention Centre |
| 19 | Sat Feb 11 | 7:30 PM | Cairns Taipans | Titanium Security Arena |
The 36ers’ draw does seem to be one of the more balanced in the competition, which could really work one of two ways – either the constant stream of home games will keep them focused, or the lack of a home stand at any point during the season will lead them to struggle with momentum.
Their longest home stand is just two games long, although between Round 6 and Round 10 they play four out of six games at home.
A double-header against Melbourne United in Rounds 1 and 2 will be a real test for the 36ers and could define where they are headed during the season.
While there are no easy matches in this competition, the 36ers do play the Cairns Taipans twice in a row as their final matches of the season, and they are the tip of many for the wooden spoon. If there is a battle on for the playoffs, which is likely, the 36ers will become favourites to secure a spot.
Prediction
The 36ers’ draw can’t be underestimated. In such a close competition, having stability and the ability to not go on a momentum-sapping run can’t be underestimated.
Their squad is definitely strong enough to get the job done and, despite the lack of experience, you nearly couldn’t think of a better coach for them to work under than Wright.
With athleticism and the ability to get out and run the floor, plus creativity flowing from everywhere, the 36ers are in for a strong season.
Every single team from fourth down to eighth is almost inseparable, though, but there is a good feel to Adelaide.
Should just scrape into the finals. Fourth.
Be sure to tune in tomorrow when we check out the prospects of Melbourne United.
Follow Scott on Twitter @sk_pryde
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