Adelaide last... I guess they got one prediction correct LOL

how many times have 'experts' predicted the 36ers would finish last? will be an interesting year for them.... i am on the fence... if it clicks they will be lower end of the top 4 if it doesnt well then yes they will finish 9th.

Georgian

New Zealand
Melbourne
Cairns
Sydney

Perth
Adelaide
Brisbane
Hawks
SE Melbourne

Melbourne
Hawks
Brisbane
NZ

Cairns
Sydney
Perth
Adelaide
SEM

I predict that 4 teams will make the playoffs.

I suspect that the phoenix will suck again and finish by sacking Mitchell

I'm tipping that wherever Adelaide finish, hoopsters will blame the refs.

Wherever the Cats finish, hoopsters will blame home cooking, claim we spent more than any other team, and call Trev a flog.

Until the playoffs commence, there will be weekly rumours that Motum is returning to the NBL.

I think the Roar have Perth too high based on their past finals history and not their current roster composition.

NZ will go how their imports go. LP lights it up and Iverson can stay out of foul trouble, they'll be top 3.

Hawks have new owners and a new Coach all be it the GOAT.
I think it'll take Gorj longer than a season to get them in title talks.

SE Melbourne will improve significantly IMO. I like their roster.

Cairns deserve to be in title talks. 2x stud imports back and some young talent.

Giddy, Dech and Adelaide will be fun to watch. I dislike this team a whole lot less with Wright gone.

Melbourne United are stacked and are the team to beat.

Sydney have taken a significant step backwards from last season but still won't be easy beats.

Brisbane don't appear to have made any significant upgrades that will improve their chances IMO.

Hawks- Simon, Harvey, Adel- plenty of talent. Goorjian at the helm. Lots of young players who could have career best years. Ogilvy's always been mentally brittle but Goorjian could draw out his best. They're the sleeper for mine.

Cairns lost Newbill, lacking depth. Being overrated

Brisbane 2 imports with solid resumes, loads of experienced NBL players familiar with Lemanis' system. Could be their year to make top 4.

NZ very very good roster but, if covid stays under control and everyone else has decent home crowds but they don't, that's a huge disadvantage

Perth I assume will sack Mooney if he's not up to it. Replace him, then you've got Cotton plus another gun import. OR if Cotton naturalises. With current roster I think unlikely for top 4, but we'll see

Cooks absence a big blow for Sydney, but I expect a big year from Didi. Mid table?

Adelaide- how good is Giddey? Really depends on him quite a lot

SEM- If the Creek from 1st half last season turns up, will be tough

Basically other than United, hard to predict. Which is great. Looking forward to it.

United's weakness, if any, could be rebounding as I don't think any of Landale, Barlow or JLA are particularly good rebounders for their positions at the 4 and 5? Although, there's a lack of true bigs this year anyway (Humphries, Iverson, Hodgson all big boys with genuine size) and Landale a smart player anyway

Also in basketball you've always got certain key players, but looking at United's roster Hopson and Landale are absolutely crucial, they bring things to the table that are hard to replace

If anyone else on United got injured, I reckon they're still title favourites, but Landale or Hopson go down and suddenly they have some serious weaknesses

That's how it looks to me, dependent upon a better look at Baba (who could possibly replace some of the unique stuff Hopson will do for this team) and improvement from JLA- who has a high ceiling and could well have a break out year

Actually CG43's outside shooting would be hard to replace too, but I reckon they'd be fine with a backcourt of McCarron/Ili/Baba/Hopson despite that group's lack of an elite outside shooter to play CG's role

Can't help thinking that Adelaide are being under-rated! Here's there line-up (with my choice of starters, positions etc)

PG Josh Giddey/Daniel Dillon/Michael Harris
SG Donald Sloan*/Sunday Dech/Alex Mudronja
SF Tony Crocker*/Brendan Teys
PF Daniel Johnson/Jack McVeigh
C Isaac Humphries/Keanu Pinder

The only weakness I see is that are too many guards, not enough bigs. McVeigh can be serviceable as a 4 off the bench, on occassions, but not as your 1st choice. More suited to the 3, for mine. A genuine 4 , 1st off the bench (doesn't have to be a superstar), Even a Dalton-type. DJ will play plenty of minutes night-in night-out, Dalton gives him breaks, McVeigh fills in for something different (at the 4) with his main role, 1st off the bench at the 3.

Granted that they don't have a Landale (sorry Isaac, go ahead, prove me wrong), a Cotton, a Lamar or Hopson or..or..or! As a team, they look solid, to me. A finals contender? Why not!
(I am not an Adelaide fan, more Brisbane, ouch!).

Take back what I said about United rebounding, White is a hustle fiend, Landale a better rebounder than I remembered, and must've been daydreaming when I mentioned JLA. It's just too long since I've been in a bball mindset ha

Just finished watching the game and boy do I have egg on mine? 1st half was as I predicted, sorta. Adel right in it. 2nd half was ugly. And Hopson didn't even have a good game for United.

ADL and SEM to fight it out for the wooden spoon.

We don't remember you #220.
You must have posted anonymously therefore nobody cares.

Don't forget the The Hawks.

So the breakers, taipans and 36ers are rubbish and yet again the Wildcats are destroying the comp, all your mummy's better be keeping up the tissues for your issues

Had Perth 4th so are doing better than expected. Even with spuds on the bench.
United in top 2. So they are on the mark.
Injuries and all. Import spot spare.
SEM I had in lower half so with their injuries, Broekhoff addition and Creek situation are doing well.
Sydney are about right.
Brisbane are better than I thought.
Illawarra were always hard to pick with high roster turnover. Adel wins most underwhelming player award.
Adelaide could be top 4 if Humphries wasn't injured and they got right imports from the get go.
ÑZ I thought would be mid table but they have dealt with more upheaval than any other team.
Cairns are disappointing, expect a top 4 challenge.

Perf wildcats,
It's no point trashing until it’s locked away.... They just relax little celebration, and get the job done.... blanchfield and Mooney are just letting cotton rest and fire up when his needed. Norton’s defence has gone up a level too. To see the wildcats predicted to not even make to the 4 this year, left me scratching my head as if I was a dog that got showed a card trick. As much as Trevor barks and carries on, he keeps that group all bought and locked in. If perth have the home court advantage this year,
Although Melbourne united is by no means a walk over and when rolling are deadly in defensive transition, for the last 3 years, I watch cotton every time he plays in Melbourne and after half time to the 4th is rarely gets his Rhythm disrupted. It’s hard not to back them if it plays out first few in the jungle. With the remaining schedule I’m heavily leaning for (atm $3 to make the 3 peat). But I could be corrected and seeing them at $14??
Either way perth melb final will be the the best 5 game series in quite some time

Perth v Melb final looks good at this point.
Both above the pack comfortably.