Apologies, I should also provide explanatory commentary to facilitate discussion:

1) Sydney - Amazing talent among Childress, Thorton and Khazzouh alone. A legitimate "Big 3". Question mark over coaching but the talent is too much to handle.

2) Illawarra - Strong on talent and character also. Coached by perhaps the best in the business. Might require time to gel and question mark about whether they have enough rebounding, but offensively they appear to have a plethora of versatile weapons.

3) Perth - Still have a strong Aussie core and have continuity on their side. Appear to have addressed weaknesses by bringing in an athletic swingman and also guard depth in Prather/Greenwood. Will need good health to challenge.

4) New Zealand - Could easily have them above Perth. It seems that when C-Jax is in town they win the title, but I get the feeling Ibekwe was very important last year. Won't be surprised to see them contend yet something in my gut says they could be in for a let down. Maybe just because they didn't have as "sexy" an off season as some others.

5) Cairns - Bring back a strong core, but I guess their mark is incomplete depending on how they replace Wilbekin. Will be tough to do better when you take into account his effect from a leadership/team chemistry perspective.

6) Melbourne - There's talent here, but as usual with Melbourne I'm just not sure if it fits together to make a contending team.

7) Adelaide - Will need a superstar import signing to be a chance for the top 4.

8) Townsville - Lacking talent and experience.

NZ should be top IMO. Team to beat.

I agree. 36ers need a stud.

I understand the logic Isaac given their track record, but the arms race appears to have stepped up another level this off-season? I'm not sure the "status quo" may be enough.

With Motum gone, the Sixers need an import about 6'11" who gets fed raw meat

4 titles in 5 seasons, NZ deserve to be favourites.

Illawarra have signed well in offseason and deserve to be in the conversation.

Perth have retained their talented core and added a couple of pieces, if they pan out they'll be in the conversation also.

Sydney have retained Childress and added Khazzouh & Markovic. Should be around the top half of the comp.

Cairns, Adelaide, Melbourne and Townsville will have their work cut out for them but have every chance of spoiling one of the above Teams chances of making the top 4.

Hawks
breakers
kings
Cairns
Crocs
United
Wildcats
36'ers

Certainly some fairly dire predictions for the 36ers there. I don't have a lot of faith in the import choices, but we have kept the same core together for a few seasons now and I expect we are going to be further up the latter than projected here.

A lot of people have Hawks right up the top, but they are light on the bench and if one of the big three are injured they wont be getting a lot of help. They will be in the play off hunt, but I have reservations in saying they wiull be first. Sydney is in the same boat, but certainly two very talented teams who will be in the play off hunt.

United have had an impressive offseason, but is there enough basketballs for someone like Goulding to coexist with Blanchfield? It is hard to say. I think the top 6 is going to be a dogfight for positions.

Right now, I think I would go with

Breakers
Perth
Illawarra
Sydney
Adelaide
Melbourne
Cairns
Townsville.

Breakers - Same ole', same ole'.

Kings - look great on paper, I think the X-factor will be Thornton and how he approaches playing in this league.

Hawks - Look great on paper too. Could be 1 or 2 depending on what Kirk's got left in the tank.

Perth - Perth will still be Perth, but offensively a lot rides on Prather's ability to put the ball in the basket.

Melbourne - If Goulding/Blanchfield works they could jump a few spots.

Cairns - Need to see who they replace Wilbekin with. If he's 80% of the player that Wilbekin was, Cairns could climb a few spots.

Townsville - Weren't very good last season, and they have gotten worse this season while other teams took significant steps forward. Conklin is good enough to win them a few games more than the Sixers.

Adelaide - The Sixers have also lost more than they gained this season.

Hawks title to lose I reckon. Well coached and full of the right kind of star 'team first' players. NZ will be there, but Penney is such a huge get and Bevo will maximise the talrnt.

6ers will finish bottom 3, needed a stud import, didnt get one.

Also for the hawks having a import up their sleeve is potentially a massive card to hold.

36ers 2nd import yet to be announced so hard to say where we will end up. Stud then we are top 4 . If he isnt we will not be.

1) Breakers - They're the same as last year and if they get another ebkwe type player they'll be dangerous!

2) Hawks - Look really good on paper and with Bevo coaching them they should do well. My only question is the rumour of Ellis signing with them and not an import. I mean they could mean the difference between having a team with depth or no depth.

3) Kings - The Kings look good on paper, between Childress, Khazzouh and Thornton they have a real big , and add an improving Garlepp and one of the best Aussie PG's in the NBL and they look good. The things that will stop them from making the top 4 would be if Thornton was a flop. Also hopefully they can Mitch Mccarron or Rhys carter on to the team.

4) Wildcats - Perth is Perth, they'll be great defensively but thing that will keep them out of the top 3 positions will be their offence. They need to play well offensively if they want to win.

5) Melbourne - I think they'll have trouble getting the ball through both Goulding and Blanchfields hand and with the loss of wortho and Corletto i don't see them doing any better then how they did last year.

6) Cairns - I think Cairns will need some one to really fill the Wilbekin hole, because he was a large contributor last season and they definitely need some one of his calibre if they are to make the Top 4 again.

7) 36ers - They need a power house import or they'll have the same problems that they did last year, accept with out Brock Motum

8) Crocs - They just don't look good on paper this year. I think they'll need to rely on grit and playing hard if they want to stay competitive.

I believe that people are only looking at one end of the court with the Hawks. Sure they have scorers but have been abysmal on the boards and a very poor defensive team for a few years now. Sure AJ will help on the boards but they have some serious matchup problems at the other end.

Good luck with Penney or Coenraad matched up on Childress,Prather(if he is as advertised off the dribble)Blanchfield, Abercrombie and potentially a gun 36ers 3 man import.

Forman at the 4 another huge liability on D.

Gordie had to repeatedly gamble with junk defensive systems to try and hide these issues.

So yes they will be good but with 3 out of 5 starters new to the club and all the team having to adapt to Bevos system they are not close to favourites.

1)NZ Provided the new 5 man can hold his own until the Chief returns. Have stability and experience.

2)Sydney. Childress a superstar and a FAR better supporting cast.

3)Cairns Solid, well coached and deep. New PG will be a big factor though and could move them up a spot or down a few.

4)Hawks Add an import who can defend the 3/4 and board and they move up to 2.

5)Melbourne. Have somewhat addressed their insipid rebounding and interior D with Ebekwe and Blanchfield. Likely a better PG and Kickert now at his more natural 4 spot with a young potentially good defender as his backup.Might even have someone who resembles a coach for the first time since Westover.

6) Unless Prather is a superstar they have not improved while many of those behind have improved a lot. Beal has shown that he can't be the man. Redhage on the slide, Wagstaff appears to have plateaued, possibly Martin and Knight as well. Biggest threat to their finals record for a long time.

7)36ers. As much as the haters on here blamed him for everything including Gibbo's poor games I think Wilson was great last season. Will be missed. Team will live and die by DJ. A superstar 2nd import may move them up ahead of Perth.

8) Crocs. Look to be a fair bit off the pace.

The great thing this year is that positions 1-7 could go either way without it being a shock.

It hasnt been announced yet, but the 6ers 2nd import is serviceable but no stud, anymore.

I dont believe it is Ebi Ere.

Puresilk, perhaps things have changed, that could be a interesting piece of info if its not him!

So far it seem consensus is the wooden spoon is the Crocs to lose with the Sixers not far behind

Well if its Ebi then yeah thats is how it could play out, BUT considering even though I heard it was him, and it hasn't been announced yet, perhaps there has been a change of heart. That 36er roster is literally one make or break type away from making a solid push. But yeah poor Crocs, just making up the numbers it'd appear.

Wow, tough to pick right now. I'd go:

New Zealand
Perth
Cairns
Illawarra

Adelaide
Sydney
Melbourne
Townsville

... but to be honest I'm completely guessing!

So far I think
1: New Zealand - Defending Champs and appear to be just as strong this year. Think the two keys for them are how Charles Jackson goes and the development of Te Rangi as McDonald is a downgrade from Carter I think.
2: Illawarra - Like how they have kept the core and upgraded to Lisch, Penney and Ogilvy. Obviously Bevo can coach. The main question is can Bevo get them to get stops on D. Expect a second import by the end of the year.
3: Melbourne - Appear to be just as talented this year but a better balanced roster. Ibekwe fills a clear need for them. The main question is how does the coach go considering he's coming in blind to the league.
4: Sydney - Love the Khazzouh and Markovic pick ups. Both bring experience which the Kings lacked last year. J Chill shouldn't have to carry the team as much. If Thornton comes in like McRae or Flynn think they might slide a couple of spots.
5: Cairns - Think that the import point will make or break the season. A Wilbekin top two. A Wilson top four. A dud no top four. Worthington is a great pick up.
6: Perth - Great culture and chemistry. Prather should be better than Daniels but not as good as Ennis. Greenwood brings guard depth which Perth have lacked. However does the core have enough star power with teams having upgraded? 30 straight?
7: Adelaide - Johnson having a full preseason will help. Think Adelaide need a lot out of Ere and/or McNeail if they are to make the four. They have a solid core but might lack the star power. However Joey has only missed the four once in 12 seasons.
8: Townsville - Young side which lacks the talent of the other teams. However given their budget it's hard to blame them. Will be surprised if they don't finish last.

Think it will be a dogfight for the four this year. All the teams bar Townsville should expect to make the four which is what you want in the league. The League is the most talented it's been for awhile imo.

Sportsbet currently have Hawks at $15. It was worth a bet even if I don't really think they will win it all

I think Sydney for top, banking on the competition amongst Caddee and Markovic bringing out the absolute best in both and leading the way for the team... If they aren't #1 then I think they could easily be #5 if they rely on Garlepp for rebounds... Is he the worst starting power forward in league history for rebounds/game?

2. Cairns, Gliddon is a superstar and deserves far more plaudits and he will only improve this season. Hopefully Burston stats injury free again and we can see internal competition between the 4 bugs.

3. Perth, expecting them to start the season well as other teams lack chemistry early on but fade out late. Would still love to see McCarron in a Wildcats jersey this season.

4. Hawks, will be scary good come playoff time (think 36ers last season and their run to the playoffs) and I think Ogilvy will be a true MVP contender and my early pick.

5. Breakers, not sure why I have them down here but I just think other teams will be better... I wonder if we will have another C. Jackson that air balls free throws?

6. United, really unimpressed by this team and frankly would be a bit surprised to see them do much of anything this year. Blanchfield is an awesome player but I can't see his game develop with this new team.

7. Townsville, Most Improved Player Clint Steindl... Either he gets this award and they play the role of the great underdog that knocks off better teams or they get absolutely smashed all year!

8. 36ers, such an uninspired roster and I think the only thing that interests me here is Boti trying to put a positive spin on another loss

Garlepp is indeed a poor rebounder - I don't know about worst rebounding starting 4 in the competition, but it'd be close. He's really a tweener - not strong enough to be a factor on the glass, and not quite quick enough to guard the perimeter.

Brandt & Garlepp didn't work because Brandt isn't a great rebounder at this stage of his career either. I'm thinking Khazzouh and Childress should be enough to cover up his weakness in this area.

Is there a website or forum thread anywhere showing all up to date rosters?

And as for predictions it's interesting but complete speculation without seeing the imports compete.

United is the perfect example. Will Holt be the next Wilbekin or the next Jahai Carson? A young Ervin or a TJ Campbell?

Answering that question IMO could determine if United are a serious contender or not. They need a solid point man to get shots for Goulding and Blanchfield. If Holt is good watch out. But IF tho.

Perth. We saw how much they dropped after losing Ennis and replacing him with Daniels.

So I see no point predicting right now.

@Proud: "I think Sydney for top, banking on the competition amongst Caddee and Markovic bringing out the absolute best in both and leading the way for the team..."

Yeah, if you know anything about those guys, that's not gonna happen.

Markovic doesn't show up for training, and Cadee doesn't show up for games. .

Its great there is some (well, a lot of) excitement around this new Hawks team but to say the title runs through them is extremely premature. They filled some gaps nicely but also retained some dead wood - far from title favourites right now.

Call them favourites by all means. To me, saying the title runs through them is saying its theirs to lose, its a given they will win etc.

" A young Ervin or a TJ Campbell?"

Out of interest, TJ has gone in to a very solid career in France. And can we give Mick a 'ball' for post #276 please?!

The hype on Hawks is interesting. Very poor rebounding and defensive team. No backup guards of any note and a team certainly not built to play Bevo's style of play. Bevo has a great record in Perth, as does pretty well everyone else that has coached there. Used to coaching the very best talent most of his career. Expect another import.
This team is already very much over rated. A number of players past their best, and two who wouldn't get a job anywhere else. Not being a hater
just trying to keep it real.

Gliddon is a superstar

Comedy gold. Absolutely funniest thing I've read all day!

I think we will see last season top 4 pretty much up there again. The top 3 especially have made minimal changes or upgraded their rosters.

I expect 36ers, Kings, Hawks and United to fight it out for 3rd-7th. Its hard to pick the order of these teams as they have all had significant changes. United and Hawks both with new coached. They all have the talent to be in the top 4 but until we see how they gel and play its a case of "looks great on paper"

I don't think Crocs have upgraded their team, if anything they have downgraded and will be cellar dwellers for most the season.

Ill have a crack at the rankings but I'm pretty sure it'll look a lot different by end of February 2016 lol

Breakers
Perth
Cairns
Hawks
United
36ers
Kings
Crocs

So what are your thoughts on Holt, Paul?

4 years in college and his highest assist tally was 3.9 a game in his final year. Was he playing point?

You'd think they'd be looking for a distributor, given Goulding, Blanchfield, Barlow and Kickert are at their best when looking to score rather than set up others. Or in Barlow's case, he's still an effective spot up shooter.

The only year I'd take notice with Holt for assists is his final year because it was his team to run then, and he had a very impressive season.

His resume is at a level where he could be a good NBL player, so no alarm bells for mine, but we'll just have to wait and see how he goes. There are a lot of unknowns and question marks with Melbourne as a whole.

Question marks for me:

-If Ibekwe has been signed, doesn't this mean they have 3 guys who are most suited to the 5 spot in Ibekwe, Majok and Patton?

-I haven’t seen much of Majok but I am assuming he does his best work close to the hoop. So, can 2 of the above 3 actually play together effectively on offense?

-At the other end, can Majok or Patton effectively guard mobile, athletic 4’s and stretch 4’s like Redhage, Wagstaff Loughton, Forman, Walker etc?

-Can Kickert?

-How good is Holt?

-Is Holt the right fit? They need someone who’s primarily looking to run the offense- where I expect Goulding, Blanchfield and Kickert to be the top 3 scorers - and not someone who is primarily looking for their own shot.

-Their coach is from the States with no NBL experience. Will he be the next Mark Price? I hope not.

- Egos. Indians vs Chiefs and all that. Lack of unity in the playing group. This was a major issue last year according to all reports. Have the personnel changes addressed this? Will the playing group be on the same page this year?

Have I missed anything!?

Gosh, those are major questions! Still, on the other hand there’s obviously some talent in the group.

"2) Illawarra - the best coach in the comp and the talent on the team will be hard for them not to be up there"

doesn't Bevo have the same amount of Championships as Joey Wright, Trevor Gleeson and Dean Vickerman?

Tomlinson dropped off a little last year after his stellar 2013/14, but he was starting point guard and led a team to the playoffs that season, had high assist numbers and low turnovers and is now back with the backcourt partner who he helped dominant the league that season. He's a worthy backup at NBL level.

Patton showed some real signs last year. Odigie has never got enough opportunities but has potential. Majok it's hard to comment but he did average 7 points and 6 boards in what I understand is a reasonable pro level league.

Barlow will be coming off the bench.

There's decent depth there.

So no one answered my question about the rosters- is there any source with up to date depth charts showing all signings?

A very old thread (revived). Newest I could find.

Mid Season (2021-2022) now and some of the pre-season predictions need reviewing (wish I could find that recent thread).

The ladder, round 10, Feb/2022

S E MELB
MELB/U
PERTH
ILLAWARRA
SYDNEY
TAS
BRIS
ADELAIDE
CAIRNS
NEW ZEALAND
[Not an even number of games, From 11 to 8]

The top four seem to still be the top four, Brisbane and New Zealand are possibly the underachievers and Tasmania the overachievers.

As it stands, ATM, and as much as I want Brisbane "up there" I can't see anyone replacing the current four. The order of the four will, no doubt, change, as will the also-rans, but not the make up of either.

[If anyone can find the latest thread which referred to this season, please use it. When it goes to the top, I can catch up]

Your thoughts, at this stage?

https://www.hoops.com.au/forum/49582-pick-the-nbl-final-four/#p880510

GO TO "Pick the NBL Final Four". UP TO DATE THREAD.

You revived a thread containing Nate Tomlinson and Owen Odigie?

Yes, I did. LV (how ya goin'?) As I explained blah, blah.
And I guess that makes me the fool?!

Well, I didn't read it or I would have known. You did!

And now that I am trying to bury it, you're the one digging it up. That's a double for you!

Tip: If you hover over the "years ago" date/time info, it will give you the specific time of post. Doesn't work on mobile though.