A new NBA season begins Wednesday morning Australian time, making this a fitting moment for prognostication. Consequently, four Downtown writers are here with their guesses about what’ll go down in 2016-17. Conference Finalists Tom Hersz: Cleveland, Toronto, Golden State, Los Angeles Clippers Michael Collins: Cleveland, Boston, Golden State, Los Angeles Clippers Matt Johnson: Cleveland, Atlanta, Golden State, Los Angeles Clippers… Read more →
Now that the footy hysteria has waned, we can sit back and ask: So, who exactly distinguished themselves over the NBL offseason? Things change fast, in unpredictable ways, but now the league is entering a phase where each team is carrying genuine championship aspirations. Interpreting the roster moves, coaching hires and new import names while considering the impact on team… Read more →
I was talking to a young Frenchman in a Berlin bar barely 48 hours after Tim Duncan announced his retirement. I was hysterical. He was amused. And eventually I became disorientated. In fact, I was shocked. Was Duncan really an all-timer, he asked? You’re right, I was thinking this Parisian definitely didn’t know basketball. But his sacrilege made me confront… Read more →
We can be realistic: as close as Australia is to an Olympic medal, it probably still lurks as the if-everything-goes-right team. And that’s fine. We always equate the Aussies with working-class imagery. Sure, there’s nothing wrong with being working class. It’s what most Australians who watch sport demand to see from their athletes. But workman efforts don’t… Read more →
Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors’ bloody disregard for humanity has caused a blackout upon the rest of the NBA whereby top-flight teams have become a mere cute sideshow. Never have we seen a defending champion elicit such potent tremors through enemy camps. The Cavs fired its coach, Blake Griffin punched an equipment manager, Doc Rivers the GM tossed… Read more →
Editor’s Note: When New Zealand Breakers captain Mika Vukona takes the floor this Friday night against Adelaide, he will become the first Kiwi to play 350 NBL games. To mark the achievement, we’re reposting this popular feature written by Michael Collins shortly after the Breakers won the 2015 NBL title. This story was first published on March 13, 2015. With… Read more →
Last season in San Antonio had the etchings of another peaceful transfer of power from one franchise player to the other. The baton, in many ways, was passed from Tony Parker to Kawhi Leonard. After all, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year was already the Spurs’ most important player from the two seasons prior. But even amongst a culture… Read more →
Something was lacking ahead of Spain. A few weeks out from the 2014 FIBA World Cup, Australia had a glaring void on the wing. At its core, basketball revolves around one thing: scoring. And with Patty Mills sidelined, the Boomers faced the very important question of who would put the ball in the damn hole. Joe Ingles was a scorer,… Read more →
It’s time to finally turn our attention to that “other” league. You know, the one across the Pacific, with half a dozen Australians and that LeBron fella in it? Yep, that’s what the revamped NBL has done to me – I’ve gone and forgotten that the NBA season is about to start! Holy crap! So just in case you’ve forgotten… Read more →
The 2015/16 NBL season projects to be one of the most tightly contested in league history. So much talent squeezed into eight teams, almost all of which possess genuine championship credentials. To conclude our build-up to opening night, here are Downtown’s #HardBall predictions. TOP 4 (in no particular order) LIAM SANTAMARIA: Melbourne, Cairns, Illawarra, Perth TOMMY GREER: Melbourne, Perth,… Read more →
