Expert
Joined January 2012
9.4k
Views
17
Published
23
Comments
I'm a journalist in Sydney and run a basketball site called The Half Court Press and a rugby league blog called Six More Tackles.
Published
Comments
Basketball is most compelling when two opposing styles meet. For instance, when a fast-breaking team that thrives on inspiration comes up against a half-court…
Crack open the peanuts and get a fresh cold one - baseball is back! This is the time of year when hope soars like…
There's no need to worry, Miami Heat fans. Despite the setback of losing your All-Star big man for the season, something's still simmering in…
Kevin Durant is pissed off. Though it's not entirely clear whether the Oklahoma City Thunder star is genuinely upset, or if he's simply tired…
With Aussie Dante Exum on their roster, the Utah Jazz seem infinitely cooler, don't they? I mean this is a club that many of…
We all know pro basketball can descend into a game of mine is bigger than yours. That's the way LeBron James plays it anyway.…
It looks like a few people have been trying on their blinkers before the Melbourne Cup's even run. We know this because of the…
The Sydney Kings head into 'The Jungle' tonight where the Wildcats will undoubtedly welcome them with fun and games. But Perth has been far…
Yes, Aussie basketball is back this week. Now I realise many of you have committed to the NBA and that's about all the round…
We all know that guys in expensive suits run pro sports and that's just fine - so long as they believe in them. Of…
From USA Today to The Goulburn Post, the news hit widely as if Michael Jordan had announced a comeback: Andrew Bogut feels 100%. It's…
You may have heard that Boomer Matthew Dellavedova is on the verge of an NBA career. The Cleveland Cavaliers already have one Aussie born…
The start of spring prompts two important questions every year: will the ol' board shorts still fit and, how excited should we get about…
The Boomers charged out of the game in their opening Olympic contest, with Patty Mills and Matthew Dellavedova bounding across court like roos run…
The Gold Coast basketball team have gone down in an inglorious and ironic blaze. Short of supplying evidence of a bank guarantee of $1…
The referees had another shocker in Saturday night's Eels - Dragons game. This is not understatement, but an indictment of current NRL refereeing. Raise…
Two guys on the concourse just below our sun-drenched second tier perch wore watermelons as hats. One of them, quite suitably inside the gladiatorial…
There’s no doubt the Cards will be there. They always are. A highly professional and entertaining outfit.
Major League Baseball is better with a few choice storylines: Here are seven
Thanks for reading Tim. I too enjoy the AL East most. Finally we can expect a real competition in that division, where the Sox and Yankees are no longer guaranteed the pennant.
Major League Baseball is better with a few choice storylines: Here are seven
David I really like your article. I think it takes guts to make some of these comparisons. At the end of the day, people can throw all the numbers they want at you …. all the minutes logged, all the points….whatever. LBJ is a great. A hall of famer. No question. But this is about feel for the game. The fact of the matter is Michael Jordan and a feel and flair for the game that LBJ will never have. Larry Bird had a skill level, touch and sixth sense that LBJ will never have.
Argue all you want about LeBron’s power and dominance. Great. He’s 6-foot-freaking-8 and built like a tank. He can jump like a superhero. These physical attributes aren’t everything.
He’ll never throw a no-look the way Magic does. He’ll never float through the air and contort his limbs the way MJ does. And he’ll never shoot a three to win games the way Larry Bird did.
That doesn’t diminish his greatness. But he is a physical beast in an era when there are far fewer talented centers and where defenses aren’t allowed to pummel opponents. This has to be considered in any rankings.
The enigmatic LeBron James doesn't compare to past NBA greats
Clearly not a Miami fan then? Appreciate you detailing all these figures here but I go by what I see. In a pretty competitive conference, Miami has shown some fortitude. Nobody’s saying they’re Atlanta but I think they move the ball very well and will be a handful if they make the playoffs. Don’t forget that Dragic is also new and still working himself into the flow. He’ll only get better.
And while you might think all those role players are past their prime, they play just that – a role. Combined they provide some pretty significant depth of talent. I don’t think you have to have 12 guys to have depth …. 6 or 7 quality players can provide a team with the depth needed to succeed. And that’s all I was meaning.
Why Miami Heat are hotter than you think
Sorry, that was meant to be ‘it’d’ put Utah in a tougher group. (I want to help Dante and co. not make it harder!)
Is it uncool to support the Utah Jazz?
You’re right about the conference thing Tristan. I really hope they shake up the conferences soon. There was one suggestion floated that they change the divisions into regional groups ….an interesting idea. However, i’d put Utah in an even tougher group potentially, given the strength of nearby teams like the Clippers and Warriors.
Is it uncool to support the Utah Jazz?
Very true Ryan. I must admit, I’ve found hard to like LA after Shaq left. But there’s hope with Julius Randle and maybe a top pick in the next draft. In the meantime, I can watch a bit of the Jazz.
Is it uncool to support the Utah Jazz?
That’s fair astro…but is the Heat’s bench so great? I’m not worried about their second five at all.
In Miami’s vice: can anyone beat the Heat?
Kris I know, it’s not going to be easy to stick with Perth. They are the favourites and should be. But I just have a hunch that if Sydney can out rebound them and muscle up to the likes of Ennis and Beal, they’re in with a chance.
I also really liked Sanders in round one. The guy can play. If he can help Carmouche and Madgen get going, it’ll be a close one.
Sydney Kings can upset star-studded 'Cats
Good on you cliffclavin, appreciate the feedback.
I agree. Ennis was great but I’m not wholly convinced Perth is as strong. We will see.
Sydney Kings can upset star-studded 'Cats
Steve really like your dark horse pick. I’ve been watching Newcastle lately and they seem capable of knocking off the better teams on their day.
STEVE TURNER: Roosters look like premiers to me
Not a bad group is it Jarrad. I really like the mix of young talent and veterans. Plus as you say, plenty of creativity, which has been a bit lacking in other teams.
Who needs LeBron with an all-Aussie backcourt?
Good on you Peter. I’m a big fan of Lauren’s. She’s a great player and a top example for young basketballers.
Lauren Jackson speaks on life at the top of women's basketball
True Swampy. I think he’s an old school sort of player. Some people liken him to Mark Price, who actually played for the Cavs a few years back now.
To answer Rebel Ranger’s question, Mills often runs the floor for the Boomers but they sort of play two point guards. I rather Delly at the point, Mills on the wing myself.
Who needs LeBron with an all-Aussie backcourt?
I agree Brent. He can certainly play. I think he’d carve it up in the NBL because of his height at the position. For that reason, I’d like to see him push his NBA chances and see what happens. If it doesn’t work out, the NBL would love to have him I’m sure.
Who needs LeBron with an all-Aussie backcourt?
Thanks Towel Waver. I think his minutes would be very limited early on to be honest. Perhaps garbage time. And on a weaker team like Cleveland, where blowouts are possible, there should be some garbage time. But the NBA is a long season and injuries and different match ups can mean anything is possible.
Dellavedova has the height, a lot of poise and passing ability, and can knock down the three. All pluses. The questions on him are around strength and speed. If he can keep improving his speed especially, I can’t see why he won’t develop into a handy NBA back-up.
Who needs LeBron with an all-Aussie backcourt?
PJ I take your point and given that you’re in ad work it’s hard to argue. But to Ryan’s comment, I think there has been some sentiment for a while that the NBL, or at least individual clubs, are spending money on some promotion, though not effective promotion. We all know the power of a simple image, phrase or idea – and the NBL never seems to push the envelope on any of it.
I can concede budgets are a problem but if – just as an example – a couple of reasonably well known imports simply stood in the middle of town at lunch on a Friday and handed out free basketballs, people would enjoy it. It might plant a seed. I realise in some places like Townsville this may have already been done. But I’m just pointing out that there has to be a way, especially in the bigger cities.
Time for the NBL to bring us back to the arena
The stadiums are really a sticking point Jose and I can see a couple of people in this forum have concerns about this. I’m with you – the Sydney Ent. Centre is where the Kings belong. How many people will go to Homebush I wonder? Frankly I’d rather they played at my old high school gym.
Time for the NBL to bring us back to the arena
Coops, the social media point is a very good one. Why isn’t more being done? I’ve wondered this myself. I personally think the league and other satellite leagues need to broaden their appeal. It’s too close knit. They need to encourage casual fans to get involved somehow. The NRL and A-League have done a better job of this.
Time for the NBL to bring us back to the arena
Cheers Pete. It really is my hope Exum and Simmons will shake things up a bit. These guys are genuine talents and will provide some much needed publicity to the sport here.
Time for the NBL to bring us back to the arena
I tend to agree Joe – it’s the best series of round one for mine. I’m interested in how Howard goes ….and we know Harden can turn a game on its head. But I’d love to see Dirk have another run at it and it’s a savvy group around him this time, which should see them at least get past the Rockets. Watch out for Rondo – he might take it up a notch.
It'll take more than Texas-sized stats for the Rockets to beat the Mavs and Spurs