It never seems fair when injuries decide any team’s fortunes, but it appears likely this could be the major reason why the New Zealand Breakers, Perth Wildcats, Melbourne United and Brisbane Bullets struggle to make the NBL playoffs this season.
On the same day that the NBL announced that the grand final series would return to a five-game format, the Bullets and Breakers saw their hopes of being there take a significant hit.
Brisbane announced a season-ending knee injury to former NBA and Boomers big man Cameron Bairstow, while New Zealand has lost four-time championship winner Tom Abercrombie for up to six weeks with a broken hand.
On top of Melbourne having lost David Andersen for most of the rest of the season last week, and with defending champions Perth still without Olympian and captain Damian Martin, it does appear those injuries are going to have a big impact on deciding teams’ fortunes this season.
The NBL has never been closer and that’s why an injury can have such a devastating impact, with only three wins separating first and last on the ladder.
While Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and New Zealand are all without at least one star, the Adelaide 36ers, Sydney Kings, Illawarra Hawks and Cairns Taipans are relatively healthy.
The Kings will be without Julian Khazzouh and Steve Blake the rest of the season, and might not have the depth as the other teams, but Kevin Lisch, Brad Newley, Josh Powell, Jason Cadee, Tom Garlepp, Aleks Maric and Greg Whittington are in the upper echelon of NBL players.
The 36ers are on a tear having won seven straight, including twice against the Kings this past weekend, to be on top of the table. It’s no coincidence that their most important players – Jerome Randle, Nathan Sobey, Daniel Johnson, Matt Hodgson and Eric Jacobsen – are all healthy, with captain Mitch Creek having just returned.
The Hawks have moved into second spot and that’s coincided with a healthy playing group combined with Rotnei Clarke, Marvelle Harris, Mitch Norton and Nick Kay playing at a high level.
The Taipans too are relatively injury free and with import guard Travis Trice combining well with seasoned veterans Mark Worthington, Cameron Gliddon, Alex Loughton and Nate Jawai forming a group that can be a contender.
Fully healthy squads from the Bullets, Wildcats, Breakers and United are capable of contending as well, but unfortunately for all four, that’s not what they currently possess.
The Bullets put together a strong roster of proven NBL players to mark their return to the league this season under Boomers coach Andrej Lemanis.
Adam Gibson, Anthony Petrie, Jermaine Beal, Torrey Craig, Tom Jervis, Daniel Kickert, Mitch Young, Reuben Te Rangi and Shaun Bruce have all shown they can be part of winning teams in the NBL.
But for the Bullets the icing on the cake was Cameron Bairstow, who was coming off time in the NBA and most recently having performed strongly for Australia in Rio at the Olympic Games.
A shoulder injury meant he had a slow start to the NBL season but he has been warming up to the task nicely of late and showing he could be a real difference maker.
That was until his knee gave way on Monday night as he was about to take up for a layup that could have given the Bullets a real chance of a comeback win at home to the Hawks.
Immediately Bairstow knew something wasn’t right and now the worst has been confirmed, with a ruptured ACL requiring a knee reconstruction.
It’s devastating news for Bairstow ending his first NBL season prematurely but it also means that Brisbane have a tough task to end up making the playoffs on their return this season.
The Breakers have won four championships and played in five grand finals over the past six NBL seasons, but their 2016-17 campaign has been troubled from the start.
New Zealand had injury concerns through pre-season and the tip-off to the season was the first real time rookie coach Paul Henare pulled his group together. Then, just as things were beginning to click after four games, import point Ben Woodside went down with a foot injury.
He has since been replaced by David Stockton and the pair will likely play together once Woodside has recovered, but Corey Webster’s season appears over through several injury complaints along with some troubles off-court.
Now, just as the Breakers were enjoying a break before their next game against Sydney on December 30, versatile star Tom Abercrombie has broken his hand and could be out for all of January.
A Breakers team without Webster and Abercrombie will be virtually unrecognisable. While they still have plenty of talent and experience, and could soon regain Woodside, they face an uphill battle to take part in another finals series.
The Wildcats have, meanwhile, taken part in the last 30 NBL playoff series. They have won seven titles in that time, including last season, but that wouldn’t have happened without the remarkable play of captain Damian Martin.
Martin was unstoppable in the grand final series against the Breakers winning the championship for his team virtually at the defensive end. That saw him make the Boomers team for Rio but now the injury curse has struck the five-time Defensive Player of the Year again.
After suffering a second broken jaw within a year, he made a quicker than expected return but in his first game back injured a knee. Martin also had more surgery done on his jaw.
He could be back in time for Perth’s next home game, on January 14 against Adelaide, but having lost five of their last six and now taking on Adelaide, Illawarra, Sydney and Brisbane on the road, it might be too late for even Martin to lift the Wildcats to a 31st straight finals appearance.
Melbourne is another team that has battled injury trouble all season. They started without David Barlow before Chris Goulding and Todd Blanchfield got hurt.
All three are back playing now, but four-time Olympian David Andersen isn’t and he’s racing the clock to return this season with a knee injury.
With import Devin Williams also sore this week, Melbourne don’t have much room to move, currently sitting in bottom, with six of their next nine games on the road.
Round 11 NBL results
Thursday
New Zealand Breakers 69 beat Perth Wildcats 57
Friday
Adelaide 36ers 82 beat Sydney Kings 80
Saturday
Cairns Taipans 99 beat Illawarra Hawks 82
Brisbane Bullets 100 beat Melbourne United 90
Sunday
Sydney Kings 96 lost to Adelaide 36ers 103
Monday
Brisbane Bullets 85 lost to Illawarra Hawks 91
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