There are no favourites this year lol

At this rate the final round of the regular season is going to look like an elimination final round.

Every team is the team to beat this year if you wait long enough! I think every team has been the form team at some point already.

Well by rights Sydney is the "team to beat". They've been the top team all year and they only seem to drop a game when they've just won a couple and they're a couple of games clear on top.

But, Melbourne has beaten them twice in a row and the previous loss was very close, with Melbourne extremely undermanned then some Lisch brilliance got Sydney over the line comfortably in the end. But it was a tight contest even though Melbourne had a stack of injuries.

So United has Sydney's measure right now. And they're 4-1 since Ware arrived and 7-3 with CG43.

To me, this means Syd and United are the two main teams to beat right now, in a very even comp.

I beat there'll be a lot of asst coaches putting in the time on the video tape looking for a weakness in Ware's game.

It's a tight season and since Ware they have gone 4:1. Melbourne were tipped as the top team preseason and how found some form.

It was only ever injuries that got Melbourne.

Ware's recent arrival aside, Goulding is United's best and most influential player. Take the most important piece of any teams puzzle out of the picture and tell me how they'd go? Randle- we saw what happened last season. Prather. Torrey Craig. Kirk Penney. Newley or Lisch. Rotnei Clarke.

Take any of those guys out for an extended period and I think their teams would struggle. Cairns maybe an exception cos they did ok minus Trice, but with Gliddon, Worthington and Jawai all having good seasons they've been very even. United's problems were compounded when Barlow was already out and Blanchfield then got injured shortly after CG43.

But with a full strength team it's United and Sydney for mine. Along with Cairns. And I'd struggle to pick a 4th. I lean towards Hawks- picked them for 4th before the season started, and after losing faith after 6 or 7 mostly horrible games, they're now looking like the team I expected right from day 1.

So it's Sydney and United, the rest of the very even comp, then daylight?

Nope it's not daylight. But Sydney and Melbourne are the top 2, yes.

Sydney have been on top of the ladder since round 2. Melbourne are loaded with talent, just signed a star whose averaged 25.4ppg over his first 5 games and is an all round talent, and have won 4 of his first 5 games.

So whilst it's not daylight, I doubt many posters here on hoops- or anyone who has seen every team a few times- I doubt many people would pick anyone other than Melbourne and Sydney if pressed to choose a top 2 teams to beat right at this second.

Melbourne, Illawarra and Adelaide are the form teams, the Hawks have won six of eight, the 36ers four in a row and United four of five.

Sydney's fast start means they still have that slender lead on top (1 or 1/2 game depending on tomorrow's result). That early streak could be very handy at season's end, but since then they're 5-5, although looking better since Blake left.

Melbourne are the opposite, the slow start holding them back but they are playing very good basketball at the moment, with the Andersen injury the question mark.

Next week they have a desperate Brisbane on the road, if they can win that it will be a statement as teams seem to win when they really need to this season.

Yep, That is the trend Paul.

Even though United led Brisbane all game last time and did look the superior outfit, and even given United's great form, I'll be very tempted to tip the Bullets because they've lost 3 in a row. Teams just have not gone on huge losing streaks, or winning streaks for that matter. I reckon Lemanis will have some well thought out plans A, B and C for Casper and United. Maybe Craig's length to try and disrupt him.

Either way, United are now back to 2-4 on the road, a respectable record and Brisbane will be desperate.

I'm keen to find out if Perth can win many on the road minus Martin. That's the big question coming up for me. If this desperation theory is correct then yes.

The one certain prediction is this league is unpredictable!

I like the way Illawarra is managing to use 11 players effectively, which in Beveridge's system is so difficult to play against.

With Sydney and Melbourne using short rotations it will make for a great contrast in styles if either players the Hawks in the playoffs. That's if they all make it!

*that should say "plays the Hawks".

36ers are the hottest team in the comp at the moment and are only off top spot by a bee's dick. Technically they are the team to beat right now. Hawks not far off. Sydney have gone 3-4 in their last 7 games and United have been taking residence at the bottom rungs of the ladder for a while now (plus lost Andersen), so while very talented teams, I think they have a bit to prove till they are given the mantle of "the team to beat".

4 of 8 teams have won at least half their road games.

Train, 36ers are the worst defensive team by a *big margin*. That fact alone precludes me from taking them seriously as a championship threat.

I think Melbourne and Sydney's best basketball has been very, very good and both have proven more than capable of lighting it up. And in their poorer games they've generally been quite competitive. Both are solid defensively. There aren't many teams who You could say this about. There are several NBL sides with strong D but prone to scoring droughts or without enough game changers. And other teams who can be very weak defensively at times.

If we lose to Cairns tomorrow, every team that had multiple games this weekend went 1-1. Which means that any team is the team to beat. But Sydney are still the front runners.
If we win it, that makes it 5 in a row and you'd almost have to argue we're the team to beat. Only team on 6 losses, 5 and 3 on the road, Creek just returned etc. I don't believe that, but statistically, you'd have to argue it's the case.

There's no shame in losing in Perth when you lose a class big early in the contest. I don't think it's too homeriffic to have United up there.
Although they'll never be above the word 'daylight' for me while DD is in charge of them. He's their biggest weakness.

According to this forum, every team is the latest team to beat as soon as they pick up a good win.

Melbourne could win the title, or could finish outside the top 4. I have no idea. Same is true of every other team in the league.

Lol

LV, while the Sixers have been the worst defensive team, in this four game winning streak their defense has improved markedly, with only NZ (92) scoring above 86 points.

Time will tell, but if that defensive improvement is here to stay, then the Sixers will be in the hunt for a playoff spot after nearly everyone wrote them off pre-season.

Melbourne then daylight?

I reckon Sydney still the team to beat. Held top spot for most of the season so far. Except for 13 points losses to Brisbane and Perth, their other losses have been close.

They might have bagged that last game as well if it wasn't for the phenomenal 3pt shooting from Ware and Goulding. They both combined for 10 of 18 from outside and some of those shots are massive jaw-droppers! If United had missed just a few of those massive bombs, the complexion of the game might have been quite different.

United looks very good since Ware and Goulding came into the line-up but I think you can't underestimate the loss of Andersen. Williams would have to step up big time and I wonder if Ware can keep up his blistering form.

Sydney
Adelaide
Illawarra
Perth
Melbourne
Brisbane
Cairns
New Zealand

Daylight


Honestly, if Melbourne wanted to improve their chances, they'd cut an import and recruit someone solid to replace Andersen (if he's injured). That'd probably get them over the line.

36ers have the least losses....

LV : 36ers might be bad defensively , but they are also one of the best offensive teams also. Most teams had them written off at the start of the season and a month ago ppl were calling for Joey's head to be on the chopping block. They are second on the ladder and with one of the best away records. If it wasn't for that terrible charge call on Randle with Knight they would be clearly on top. They have also been without one of their best player and Captain - Mitch Creek-for most the season. How can you possibly say that United are on of the teams to beat and ignore what 36ers have accomplished.

Apart from Sydney and Melbourne who were rated pre season and everyone talks about a lot cos of the big names and big cities, the great smoky this season has to be Cairns.

Tough as nails team, strong defensively and well balanced. They're currently 6-7; and 9 of their remaining 15 games are in Cairns- a place where they have a 26-7 record over the past 2.5 seasons. And none of those 15 games will be against Sydney, either.

All the coaches and players said it pre-season, this is a year when anyone can genuinely beat anyone, and that is the way it has played out.

Joey Wright summed it up when he said those trying to make predictions on this season don't know much about the NBL but are trying to show that they do!

Re the comment on Adelaide being the worst defensive team, whoever made that was reading season averages and not watching the past few games. This season's comp changes pretty quickly.

Train, I'll happily remind you of this conversation in a couple of months time. Creek's one injury doesn't compare to the continual revolving door of players on United's injury list, often several players at once. Much harder to get chemistry in the group and harder for the coaches when it's different players getting injured. As soon as United actually had a full team, Andersen goes down. Don't even talk about Mitch Creek. SMH.

Teams who win championships usually have strong offense AND strong defence. So if a team is particularly weak at one end, like the 36ers are, then I don't think of them as much of a threat. That's especially true if the weakness is at the defensive end imo. Name me one NBA, NBL champion (or any other professional league for that matter) where the champion was in the bottom third of defensive teams in the competition. Then recall that Adelaide has been the worst. By about 5ppg last time I checked.

United v2.0 has Casper Ware. He's a totally different type of player to Cedric Jackson, so what United was doing in the first 10 games is less relevant.

Im impressed with the 36ers. They may not make playoffs but they're very watchable. Lots of people had them struggling to win a handful of games tet they're 7-6. Not bad under a coach who many claim is useless. Fantastic season so far can't wait to see how it unfolds.

I'll be happy for you to remind me of this in a couple of months, just as I will keep reminding you of the "Sydney then Daylight" comment hehe ;) But seriously, i get what your saying....United have an amazing team and Ware is ridiculous but I just don't get why people are calling favourites or labelling teams as "the ones to beat" when the league is so tight.

Everyone keeps talking about how tight it is, and this is true. But it's also true that Sydney have been on top since Round 2. There is no reason to think that will change imo.

And they still have an import spot open. The rest of the comp will be hoping it's not a case of third time lucky...

Sydney are on top ...... by a bee's dick.... over 36ers ;) they have also lost the same amount of games as Perth , Hawks and Cairns and lost more games than 36ers.

Doesn't exactly equal daylight or "team to beat" status

Of course it does. If you've been on top of the ladder for 9 weeks in a row then you're team to beat.

If you want to use stats misleadingly, then I will point out that Sydney have won 2 more games than Illawarra and at least 3 more than everyone else

So we can use ladder position to substantiate your claims for Sydney being the team to beat? So how come United being cellar dwellers still makes them one of the "teams to beat" ?

Well Larry did it by installing a 'soft' salary cap and third import slot. To the folks that subscribes to a certain conspiracy theory, Larry probably also instructed the refs to make the ladder look pretty and exciting. For a particular salty gambling addict, the players and refs also collude in a shadowy betting racket.

Train- we've been through that. United v1.0 was last on the ladder. United v2.0 is 4-1. It's a different team now. Just like Adelaide was a different team after Randle replaced McNeill last season.

United with CG43 is 7-3 overall and has won 7 of their last 8.

Although having said all of this, We will wait and see Andersens scan results. United can do ok without him but couldn't afford an injury to Any of Majok, Williams, Wesley, Barlow or Blanchfield if Andersen is on the side lines. But as long as those guys stay healthy, United can still be in the mix without Andersen.

In fact they really can't afford an injury to Casper or Goulding either, but that would be the case irrespective of Andersen's status.

If you're 3 games clear on top of the ladder and you drop a game and then you’re 2 games clear on top, it’s pretty much a meaningless loss, isn’t it?

My point is, whether they go 28-0 or 17-11 they’ll still likely be on top. They’ll have home court advantage in the playoffs, with another import to come. Call it whatever you want. Team to beat? I would say so.

Perth, NZ and Brissy are the teams to beat. Just ask the last 5 teams that have played each of them.

When someone else takes Sydney's spot on top of the ladder, that team can label themselves the team to beat. For now, the team who's held that position for 9 weeks straight can retain the mantle.

Sydney can be 5-5 in the past 10, or they could be 4-6 in the past 10, but, for better or worse they seem to be a team who only gets desperate when they really need to. As much as United was good yesterday, Sydney didn't bring their best. When Sydney is fighting to retain top spot, I suspect then you'll see the best of them. Problem is, they haven't been in that position very often since they've typically been comfortably clear in top position.

Sydney could go 0-5 in the next 5 games and you would still be crapping on about them being the team to beat blah blah blah daylight blah blah.

Just putting this out there. Sydney are hot, hot favourites by a fair margin with the bookies. I'm obviously not the only person in the Milky Way who thinks they're the team to beat....

SPORTSBET:
Sydney Kings 3.60
Melbourne United 6.00
Brisbane Bullets 6.50
Cairns Taipans 7.00
Adelaide 36ers 8.50
Perth Wildcats 9.50
New Zealand Breakers 9.50
Illawarra Hawks 10.00

TAB:
Sydney Kings 3.25
Melbourne United 4.50
Perth Wildcats 5.50
Illawarra Hawks 7.00
Brisbane Bullets 9.00
New Zealand Breakers 9.00
Adelaide 36ers 11.00
Cairns Taipans 21.00

FWIW If I was going to be betting at those odds, I'd be going with Cairns ($21) at TAB and Melbourne ($6) at Sportsbet.

But the point is, there are good reasons why Sydney are favourites.

FWIW United were clear favorites and on top of the ladder last year come finals time....we all know how that went for them. And this season is a truck load tighter than last year.

Incorrect. United weren't clear favourites. Nor were they even clearly on top of the ladder- they were tied 18-10 with Perth.

None of this means Sydney will win the title. This is the year of Leicester, Western Bulldogs, Brexit, Trump and others etc etc.

But if you're the top team, you're loaded with talent and you keep winning every time you're challenged for top spot- which they have done so far- they you deserve to be favourites.

Adelaide looks like the team to beat tonight. But let's see how they go vs Sydney with top spot up for grabs

We just beat Sydney in Sydney!

It's looking great. My bet is on Taipans to win 10 games for the season.

Regardless of tonight, I still pick them for top 4(but don't have any money on that)

No Trice - No Taipans.

36ers then daylight?

If one of your 5 wins is an overtime victory on your home court against an opponent minus two starters.... Then maybe you're better off hiding that inconvenient fact.

Adelaide look good, but United have worked in a new point guard, copped yet another injury to another starter and gone 4-1 with the sole loss being 3 points in Perth Arena.

The outlook is better for United.

Still, this is all speculation. We will see what happens. If Adelaide can beat Sydney twice and steal top spot then all and sundry of raving about them will be justified

LV just clarified himself as an Adelaide hater, pathetic attempt LV, you just made them look even more impressive - they've been playing without Creek. United are not even close to Adelaide's for and as for that HILARIOUS comment:

"the outlook is better for United" - that will haunt you for many a'thread now and forever.

United were predicted to win a championship this year and have so far shown themselves to be one big running joke of a club. 36ers were trashed before the season by so many would-be ladder predicting gurus.

LV you fool - Check yourself before you wreck yourself.

let me also remind you said United lost to that said Perth team a few games after...

"the outlook is better for United" XD - quite possibly the most ridiculous comment ever written here.

If Adelaide can beat Sydney twice

Kings - 0.588 PCT
36ers - 0.571 PCT
Hawks - 0.533 PCT
Cats - 0.500 PCT

@LV - at what point do 36ers become a "team to beat" ?

LV a salty Taipan supporter who thinks the league "wants us to lose" just like his brainless Fearne.

Imagine if that flop by Knight didn't called a charge in the 36ers V Perth game...36ers could very f well been 9-5 and clearly on top of the ladder.

Grow up guys,

anyone can win it this year, stop picking apart teams.

Good win to the 36ers. Would not want to be the ones facing them and thankfully, my team isn't this week.

Lol at sad people who talk down at others on internet forums.

Clearly you don't spend much time here if you think I'm a Taipans fan.

Train, Adelaide becomes the team to beat if they take top spot off Sydney. Same goes for any of the other 6 teams. I'm just a little forgiving of the Kings complacency and occasional poor recent performance since it was mid October last time anyone else was on top. And Christmas is next week. But make no mistake, Adelaide, and United are bringing the heat right now.

If Adelaide beat Sydney on Friday and then give Sydney a good game a couple of days later, Adelaide is right with Sydney. If Adelaide wins a tight one then gets belted in Sydney, Kings have asserted their position. We will have to see what plays out. Only one thing is certain- if 36ers beat them twice then Adelaide are officially top dog, team to beat, numero uno and will have stolen all of the above from the Kings.

New Zealand are probably the weakest team in my opinion.

off the bench their only offensive option is CW...

Stockton went from hero to zero pretty fast and it looks as if paying Penney and knocking CW out of his starting spot has had an effect on CW's performances and effort.

Strong feeling he will be in another uniform next year.

As for Mitchell, I do not understand why you would not start him over the one-dimensional Vukona...

it looks as if paying Penney and knocking CW out of his starting spot has had an effect on CW's performances and effort.

As for Mitchell, I do not understand why you would not start him over the one-dimensional Vukona...

Sydney 17-11? What makes you think they'll go from winning two of their past eight to winning seven of their next eight?

Sorry, just read the date of your post Kobe! Still maybe a little optimistic back then but understandable!