Hats off to the JJs for one hell of a season, but they will need to be perfect on both ends tonight.

Whoever wins this game is fighting for second because I cant see either beating Sydney in a series. It would take one of the great performances of NBL history from guys like Jack McVeigh, Clint Steindl, Josh Magette and Josh Adams for the JJs to win this game tonight. I hope that is what we get.

Can someone much smarter than me tell me why Vickerman persists with Peatling? United's better off playing Newley at the 4 than him.

Interesting to read on FB that all the JJ's office staff are OOO and headed for the game in Melb.

Peatling has shown some flashes but I think United will trim the rotation tonight. I also think they can afford to go smaller in general. You just need either Hukporti or JLA on the court at any one time, and it doesn't really matter what other positions are out there against this JJ squad. United have enough defensive guards that you will always have guys on the court to cover Magette and Adams.

Peatling was ok last season but has regressed, White has been a little quiet of late as well, it hurts United. Yes Newley should be used more, still elite at getting to the bucket.

I'm not certain United can win this unless Goulding gets cracking, they just seem to struggle scoring. I’m hoping they win just to get Sydney some opposition in the gf.

Total guess, Melbourne by four.

United wins this comfortably

Lots of things went right for the JJs last game

- United very poor shooting night (yes credit JJs defense but United also missed plenty of open ones) , 6/34 threes and 8/14 free throws. JJs hit 13/14, United 8/14, that's basically the game on the FT difference
- McVeigh hitting some timely ones from way downtown, late in the game
- A couple of 50/50 calls late
- Hit some tough shots late
- Lots of physicality allowed, with their epic home crowd boosting their energy and helping them lock into brilliant defense
- JLA foul trouble, limited to 23 minutes

Those things very unlikely to repeat.

Don’t underestimate the crowd effect, it was one of the wildest atmospheres I’ve seen.

I tend to think this will be more like Game 1 (which looked like a blowout until JJs managed to make the final scoreline look respectable).

Goulding out?

Yep, calf.

Pity the Tasmainian misses this crucial game.

Yikes. No Goulding. Injured in warmups.

Wow.

The JJ's run of good fortune continues, it's all there for them now a path to the GF.

Seems fair, we have our star local in Magnay out, they have Goulding.

Seems fair, we have our star local in Magnay out, they have Goulding.

JJs now, Goulding massive loss. Two excellent coaches matching wits against each other as well.

Sydney then daylight in the big one.

Damn

On the upside, it improves the D

Final score 68-59???

Carn the Jackiez!!!!

I am not sure you'd call the JJs favourites quite yet but thats a big chunk of United's game plan ripped from them a mere hour before the game. His absence makes it a lot easier for the JJs to lock them down as there isn't this all-powerful shooter lurking around.

How long is he out for

Run and gun!

Points on the board. Had to happen eventually! Better for United's chances

Is Baba now the biggest flopper in the league?? Pathetic.

Can someone tell Vickerman he doesn't need to make a sub every 2 minutes.

United not looking like winners, 40 all at the half. Delly going to have to lift, been average. As Gaze said, get a good coach with a good system and all buy in and you compete. Roth picked his team on that.

United going down.

No Goulding, no hustle, no heart. Tassie just want it more atm.

United look absolutely lost without Goulding right now. Pretty low standard game it has to be said. Nothing on yesterday's absolute classic.

Baba has gone backwards since last season. Tassie got this

Jla looking average, not strong enough to seal an opponent.

Absolute scrap fight, exciting due to it tightness but hardly 2nd best league in the world.

This is like the Simpsons episode where Homer tries to skateboard over the gorge. The Jacks are Homer, but they're actually going to make it.

Delly, Jack White & Agada just brick after brick.

Great basketball by the jackjumpers.

Outworking Melbourne, making them look overrated

Oh my goodness

Adams shot was ridiculous, fading sideways looking like Rex Chapman

I love Delly but wow Melbourne must regret signing him.

Sydney shitting bricks

Oh wow...

It's actually happening.

I bet on the JackJumpers after the Goulding injury news but it didn't move the odds too much.

The problem now is as much as it pains me to say it the Kings will win in a canter. I hope I'm wrong though.

You love to see it, JJs all the way

Let's go JJ’s!!!!!!! Very well deserved and earned.

This is a really bizarre thing to watch. No one could have seen this team doing anything this year. How in the world have they got this done? Yes, they got some luck with the Goulding injury but even then they were vast underdogs. This is unreal. It was a really ugly, UGLY game.

JackJumpers!! You legends!! So good.

Well done JJs.

Now for Sydney

I'm gob smacked, some Melbourne big names gone missing big time.

Congratulations to JJs, deep down I’m hoping they can get Sydney but I just don’t see it.

All those d***head anon posters at the start of the season expertly tipping the JJ's to finish bottom 2 or 3 must feel like idiots now, with good reason... They are idiots!! Go JJ’s!!

Vukona consulting the JJs on culture has really paid off.

Yes ugly, ugly game, hopefully they can make the GF the same.

What happened around JLA?

He should have been Melbourne's best weapon, getting fed inside or shooting the 3. He wasn’t allowed to be a factor, not so much by the JJs but by his teammates!!

Wtf?

You fn beauty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tanking that game against the jackjumpers at the last regular round came back to bite. Against the cats Melbourne would have had uncontested layups and dunks all round.

There is a moral to this story I think.

"I'm gob smacked, some Melbourne big names gone missing big time."

Let's keep it 100 - Delly was pitiful. Outperformed by every other guard on the court despite having the much vaunted, 750K per NBL season NBA championship experience.

JLA pulled some interesting facial expressions but fell asleep in the last quarter.

The one guy who can hold his head high is Jack White.

All those d***head anon posters at the start of the season expertly tipping the JJ's to finish bottom 2 or 3 must feel like idiots now, with good reason... They are idiots!! Go JJ's!!

@BeachBaller
I predicted JJs to finish near the bottom if not on the bottom but I don't fell like an idiot. I would say that looking at the team that was put together that such a prediction would be attributed to someone that knows basketball and the NBL well.
If you are saying you predicted that the JackJumpers were going to make the final and you didn't make a bet to that effect, at extraordinary odds, that makes you an idiot.

JLA was the man in the last quarter but the last 3 minutes he went missing. Credit JJs for their defense but they stopped going to him. Jack White did some good things but ultimately United's poor perimeter shooting lost them the series. LV where are you?

Congrats to the JJ's on the win.

Roth has done an outstanding job with the talent he has and they have played whole heartedly for him.

Good luck against the BIG Dollar spenders

It would be a great fairytale ending for the season if the Tassie team can get up.

What about Vickerman and his overspending club.

Knocked out by the lesser credentialled players and outcoached by Roth.

Tanking that game against the jackjumpers at the last regular round came back to bite. Against the cats Melbourne would have had uncontested layups and dunks all round.

There is a moral to this story I think.

How long is he out for

Wow congrats to the JJs. As a united fan I feel like I should be more disappointed but I'm actually ok.

Last minute Goulding injury that changed all our plans sucked. Delly and Agada really stepped down when we needed them.

All in all, a good season with many lessons but damn we were oh so close to having back to back GF appearances.

JackJumpers need to slow the game down against Sydney, bring the Kings down to the JJ's scrappy level, and then beat them with experience.

I certainly picked the JJ's to be in the bottom teams. I also said right from the start that any new franchise team SHOULD finish in the top half. Rest assured the Perth thing was important that's what get them in in the first place. Imagine United with Goulding. They played crap with him in their last game and worserer tonight !
The draw and the injuries to other teams got them the W's that no one expected. FFS playing the Kiwis 4 times is a gimme. Anyway congrats to the Jackies I was wrong and happy to admit it.
Congrats to Scout who has never taken his rose coloured glasses off.

Roth did it. Unbelievable

I also said right from the start that any new franchise team SHOULD finish in the top half.

@AussiePride I think what @BeachBaller meant are the anons who made predictions only out of pure spite because they were in the Anthony Stewart for coach camp.

It was curious how much hate there was directed at the franchise.

Sydney can now officially hand over the 'Crumbles' tag to Melbourne. Perhaps it could be a formal presentation before the start of the first GF game.

Yes lads!!!!

@Perthworld I may have missed the context then. Personally I was OK with the coaching selection but there is no way I thought the player list could win more than a couple of games.

Bobafett

they ain't rose-colored now mate!


I have never predicted them to make finals, yep I bit back at the cheap shots on here and rightly fn so - there were heaps of em!!!!

This team has character that I am proud to support

All this without Will Magnay who was their marquee signing. Incredible.

Yes, Magnay would provide more off the bench than Bairstow in that role

ME "The one guy who can hold his head high is Jack White."

0-5 3pt
1-4 FT

Wow I am sure he is patting himself on the back after that effort.

If any players can hold their heads up high it would be JLA 16 points @ 70% and Ili 18 points @ 70%

Sorry my bad White 2-6 from the foul line. So good

JLA couldn't hold his own under the bucket, Krislovic was just pushing him out, JLA got great skills but needs to improve his strength levels immensely to get to next level.

I’m not certain blaming Vickerman for poor coaching when his side could not make a free throw or three pointer.

Well done to Roth, he’s been superb, punters backing Stewart were just voicing there support for him as he’s been Mr basketball in Tasmania for the last twenty years.

I’m hoping for a good GF series, like most I’ve written off JJs before a ball was bounced, I still can’t see them beating Sydney so that’s in the JJs favour.

Delly great career but today was no highlight.

United played like how I actually thought they'd look all season when their roster was finished preseason. I was wrong as they were a juggernaut defensively but just shows how the loss of that one other weapon in CG43 made every single bucket a chore.

Really happy for the JJs, such a great story.

Melbourne were 0-3 without Goulding.

The JJs did a great job making JLA work for it and for the most part did a great job of denying the high-low action, but I also felt United were a bit undisciplined for large stretches and fell into the trap of playing like the JJs who really rely on hero ball out of necessity to keep the scoreboard ticking over.

JJ's packed the key late, there was no perimeter threat to defend...

That’s why JLA couldn’t score late, he was against 5 defenders

Incredible result for Tasmania I thought they might be a chance with Goulding out.

United should be absolutely kicking themselves tanking their last game of the regular season to get the JJ's thinking they would be a better match up for them than Perth and for not moving on Agada earlier in the season. They made the big play to bring Yudai Baba back in late in the season and that backfired too.

That massive Delly contract really looks like the disaster it always was now. The guy was a role player in the NBA but that was unlikely to ever translate to being a star player in the NBL he had a very underwhelming season and disappeared when they needed him most. Typical United move though dishing out big money to guys without any idea how they might fit like Trimble, Long, Prather, Kennedy and Hopson.

Well done to Tassie great to see the JJ's cinderella story continue but can't see them troubling that Kings juggernaut too much they were the championship favourites from Day 1.

Fairytales happen

Incredible. Without Magnay too. Well deserved

"All those people who tipped them bottom 2 or 3 are idiots", you mean like, literally everybody?

United's weakness was pretty obvious all year and it was bloody obvious tonight

Back to the drawing board but with Hukporti, Delly, CG, White and Peatling all signed up (I think?) we're off to a good start for next season

Just bring some diversity into the team. Instead of having player after player who's got the same strengths and weaknesses. You need a more well rounded team to win a title.

Baba is a good culture guy but it was painfully clear he was the wrong guy from a basketball perspective

Good luck JJs,

And some lessons learned for United. And still not a bad result overall, after most tipped them to miss playoffs I guess

There will need to be a real forensic examination of what made the Jack Jumpers successful this year, and the learnings of that could be the blueprint for a lot of great things in this league. There is absolutely no logical reason that is obvious and present to me as to why a team of bench players and a few mid-level imports could go all the way to the grand final series in a league boosting some big spenders in Melbourne, Illawarra, Sydney, Perth and other comparative giants. Does it all boil down to Scott Roth? Did they choose just the right mix of attitudes and roles to make this thing work? And conversely is it a bit of an indictment on the standard of this league that such an unheralded team with really no strategical advantage or stand out player could have this success in this league? Is it an embarrassment to the Perths and Adelaides in the world that paid infinitely more and missed out? There's a lot to unpack here. But what we are witnessing is something of a Haileys Comet. Chances of us seeing a team come exceed expectations like this in this league probably will not happen ever again. It wasn't the prettiest game. But this is a rare moment in NBL and Australian basketball and the meanings and learnings will be pondered on for decades to come.

Hilarious people are putting blame on a defensive role player in Baba.

He wasn't the problem. Perhaps look at Delly, Agada & White shooting brick after brick (or air in Whites case).

It's absolutely an embarrassment to Perth. The JackJumpers took everything that made Perth successful and got to a grand final series, Perth trashed a decade of good work and ended their 35-year streak.

On the lack-of-talent front, though, they really compare to a lot of the Aaron Fearne Taipans teams. Slow the pace, clog up the half court, keep teams out of transition, hope to roll them in a grind. JackJumpers just have a couple of elite shooters in Adams and Magette, and plenty of guys who can spread the floor reliably, so they're a bit more potent offensively. Even those Taipans teams managed some great seasons when they hit the import jackpot.

Hilarious people are putting blame on a defensive role player in Baba.

Imagine being Jack McVeigh. Not resigned by the Sixers, a club he threw everything into. Goes to Jack Jumpers and makes it work. Does the work both ends and now pays dividends.

JVG defiantly a legend in his own bath tub.

I don't think we are blaming Baba himself but more his selection over another perimeter scoring threat.

Roth has used the Gleeson blueprint of coaching in this league to a tee. A key reason they signed Roth over Anthony Stewart would have been his time at the wildcats. Already their culture community engagement basketball brand all looks like wildcats 101. Heck they are playing even a better brand of wildcats basketball. Take some notes ScoMo..

Jack McVeigh's stocks are definitely rising and he has the potential to be an All-NBL team level player in the next few seasons. Great intensity about him, a decent bag of tricks offensively as well.

Letting McVeigh leave was another disastrous move by the Sixers as some us said at the time.

JackJumpers just have a couple of elite shooters in Adams and Magette

Well that's the thing about the JJs. There's no one player you could point to (right now anyway) and say they're elite at any particular thing. Josh Adams had a nice game today but he's a middle-of-the-road import. Theyre starting Krslovic at centre for crying out loud! McVeigh is as close to elite as the team has and while he is definitely on the rise, he's not exactly the kind of big-money guy almost every other team has and even in Adelaide was a fourth option. It really is quite incredible what they've managed to do. And next week they'll be faced against a team that has nothing but stars - Jaylen Adams, Ian Clark, DJ Vaselijivic, Xavier Cooks, Jarell Martin and a bench that probably has more noted firepower than the Jack Jumpers do as an entire team. And the strangest thing about it is I am not ready yet to say that the Kings get the rings. The Jackies have the weirdest way of making other teams suck against them. Must be some sort of Tasmanian forest witchcraft being practised to bring such a team such results

There's nothing remotely elite about Magette's shooting he's shooting 34.8% from the field and 29.2% on 3pt this season.

Well done to the JJs. They made the United offense look impotent.

I find it hard to say United underachieved. JackJumpers overachieved.

United's main flaws showed up, especially without Goulding. Lack of scorers. Lack of shooters. Last season there was Landale and Goulding, both spacers, then JLA and Hopson off the bench, both who could create by themselves. That balance of a couple strong scorers surrounded by defensive role players worked. A team with only two real offensive weapons is going to be a struggle, you'll need several role players to step up big time.

As the JJs showed.

Said when jumpin Jack mcweigh left the sixers we had lost a club stalwart and nothing now says I wasn't right....jack jumper jack shown his grit determination to be leader.. elite player.. question how come clun let's go immense tallant.... didn't club realise his upside. Another one escaped to greener pastures and riches...maybe joey legacy going to reaped and ripen elsewhere....sad need talent retained not sharing...pinddr another hurts

[Hilarious people are putting blame on a defensive role player in Baba.]

I'm not blaming Baba, simply pointing out he was the wrong fit for a team lacking scorers and creators.

Baba has the same strengths and weaknesses as Agada- strong defender, and in transition. But struggles to create his own shot or shots for others.

Delly, White, Agada, Ili, Baba- all very good defenders. But none are go to scorers or creators. They rely on having finishers, spacers and creators around them to be effective on the offensive end. The team was unbalanced.

United was always going to be susceptible in a half court grind against a good defensive team in the playoffs. All season on this forum I was talking about this. They had the opportunity to upgrade the offense but brought in a guy (Baba) who's the same type of player as the guy he was backing up (Agada) and did nothing to improve the weakness.

Of course CGs absence compounded the problem massively, and if he plays last night United almost certainly wins, cos you have CG putting up 3s instead of Agada going 0-7. But the problem was already there.

JLA has quite a good 3-point shot these days, but I didn't see enough of it in the game. There were times I thought JJs were daring him to shoot.

"There is absolutely no logical reason that is obvious and present to me as to why a team of bench players and a few mid-level imports"

Imagine watching this series and calling Adams a mid-level import.

"There's no one player you could point to (right now anyway) and say they're elite at any particular thing."

McDaniel & Kenyon - elite defenders
Magette - elite playmaker
Krslovic - elite offensive rebounder
Steindl - elite catch-and-shoot

When Adams is going he is an elite scorer, consistency is his challenge but when he scores big JJs usually win. This team utilises the skills of their players very well at both ends.

Well done JJs

Amazing what some locals who some people think don't deserve a spot in the league can do when given the chance.

To be fair to United, most didn't think they were top four this season before the first bounce.
JJs clearly overachieved, good luck to them, next season going to be a hard act to follow.
What a last month of basketball, JJs beat United in last round and SEM beat Perth and as they say the rest is history.

JJs making the Grand Final is probably the greatest story I've ever seen in any sport I follow.


JJs somehow made the GF despite their best Local signing missing most of the season with injury. Even with Magnay their roster is, on paper, inferior to most other teams, but shows what can happen in sport with smart coaching, a good system, where everyone buys in and plays their role and competes hard every game

Of course they had some luck. United ironically threw the last game of the season to let them into the playoffs. Perth uncharacteristically completely fell apart over the last month of the season, and had injuries too. But somehow JJs still went 17-11, after a 2-6 start, with a team of nobodies, just playing good team bball and now they're in the GF. Just inspiring really

The JJs import trio is as well credentialed as any import group in the NBL outside Sydney

But, its the locals who seriously stepped up

Kenyon, Bairstow- absolute nobodies. Played roles

Weeks- 32, past his best, I thought his time in the NBL was done

Steindl- 33 and just played one of the best seasons of his career

McVeigh- Career best year

McDaniel, Krslovic- played roles. Especially great effort from Krslovic to play an undersized 5 in Magnay's absence

Bairstow was a consistent role player for Perth last year when they finished second. He isn't a nobody.

Re; Adams and even Magette, whether or not they are elite imports (I think both do some things very well), the most important factor is that they are the *right* imports for this squad. JJs play hard on D with great effort that keeps them hanging around games, and Maggette is able to create for others while Adams is low efficiency overall on offense, but the microwave type scorer who is able to get to the hoop, hit from 3, and not afraid of the big moment. That's what the JJs need with the lack of scorers on the roster. Keep yourself in the game and let your stars give you a chance.

Would Adams look as good playing for, say, Brisbane? I don't know. Maggette I think would put up better numbers on a more stacked squad with his playmaking ability, and it's the early-clock contested 3s that drop his % down, which I feel Tassie live with because of the lack of other scoring options.

Yes I'm aware of the role Bairstow played for Perth last year, but he's still a 28 or 29 year old who first played NBL last year after an unremarkable state league career

Point is, JJs have an entire team of these role player types, and every single one of them played a quality role, in their first season after being thrown together. That's impressive and huge credit to Roth's coaching, and whoever played a role in recruiting them all.

I think this season also speaks to the value of having a consistent team

JJs have 7 players who have played every game- Adams and Magette (their 2 most important players), McVeigh, Steindl, McIntosh, McDaniel, Krslovic. Weeks and Kenyon missed 1 and 2 respectively.

Magnay's last game was 6th Feb. No constant changing of the lineup, just the same group every single game.

That kind of consistency allows you to develop chemistry and allows everybody to learn and hone a specific role.

But, still the greatest fairytale I've ever seen. To think this JJ's group got further than SEM and Perth, and technically the Hawks is mind boggling. (OK, Hawks vs Sydney was probably the true GF, but still)

Does Roth remind anyone of Greg Popovich?

Naaah - Scott shows more emotion

I like KR's Fearne comparison (although it was the team more than the coaching) - I think very different personalities, and it seemed Fearne could rub players the wrong way based on various rumours over the years which seems about the opposite of Roth at this point. But stylistically and in terms of talent utilization, similar - not sure Fearne would put up with some of the shots Adams and Magette throw up though.

"Yes I'm aware of the role Bairstow played for Perth last year"

Good, then don't call him an absolute nobody!

" also said right from the start that any new franchise team SHOULD finish in the top half.
Why would you ever expect that?"

Clearly you have a lower standard than I do. Look at Phoenix, 3 seasons of mediocrity.

"Good, then don't call him an absolute nobody!"

But he is a nobody....

He played a minor role on a good team for one season, found a spot and contributed something within a great system alongside guys like Cotton and Mooney.

That doesn't make him a somebody.

There was a real question over whether he had the capability to translate that and continue performing in the NBL.

Same question applied to McDaniel who played a far bigger role (starter) for United. The question on McVeigh was whether he could ever take the next step.

All these types of questions all answered in the affirmative. Roth, Vukona, front office, all obviously doing things right

" also said right from the start that any new franchise team SHOULD finish in the top half.
Why would you ever expect that?"

Clearly you have a lower standard than I do. Look at Phoenix, 3 seasons of mediocrity.

He set the bar that high for the JackJumpers after Roth got in over Stewie.

Lot of people thought United wouldn't even make the top-4 after preseason, I had United 5th like the Perth Wildcats in NBL22.

With United finishing on top of the regular season, I have them overachieving. No one thought they would finish on top, let alone have home court advantage in finals.

United will learn from this. It happens all the time in sport. I can see next season will make the Grand Final. It all depends on who they bring in for NBL23.

"The Phoenix were ten minutes from a grand final appearance last season, if that's mediocrity then almost every team is mediocre every season."
I guess you are right. Perth Mediocre, United too. Illawarra as well. Mighty Kings aren't.

"He played a minor role on a good team for one season"

He was a double-digit minute player and a contributor on one of the best teams in the comp. Those who understand the game beyond scoring would have appreciated the role he played for Perth.

To you he is a nobody, and that's understandable, so no dramas there.

Yes I'm aware of the role Bairstow played for Perth last year, but he's still a 28 or 29 year old who first played NBL last year after an unremarkable state league career

Absolutely I appreciated the role he played with Perth. Much like I appreciated the roles Kenyon and Krslovic played defending CG and JLA.

But he's still a nobody.

1 season does not a name make. At that age, especially. If he was 20 last year, I would've expected big things this year. As it stood, I wondered if he'd disappear back to the ends of a bench. But no, he played minutes for JJs who are now a Grand Final team. Great effort by Bairstow.

I'm not sure I can call him a nobody anymore ;-)

I mean He was* still a nobody at the start of this season, but once you play a role on a GF team 2 years in a row, that's when I'll notice you.

Again, credit to Roth and co. Whether he's a nobody or not, he's a meat and potatoes guy without any remarkable skill. Or physical tools. Yet Roth fashioned him- and others like him- into Grand Final players

A month left in the season the COTY question remained open but the last month proved it was obvious in the end. And the playoffs are merely more evidence.

Still, the JJs could end up like Cairns 2020. Time will tell.

Roth becomes a real coaching somebody after season 2 :-)

NBL Tigers, the plan for United seems obvious given they have many players signed

Signed- Delly, CG, White, Hukporti, Peatling, Ili

Farewell- Barlow, Newley, Agada, Prewster

Wish list

1. Re-sign JLA
2. Bring in an elite scorer at small forward. Must be able to create his own shot.

Team

JLA/Hukporti
White/Peatling
Import/??
CG/??
Delly/Ili

If you can't find good enough Aussies, sign imports to fill out the bench. Consider Baba.

"But he's still a nobody."

He's still a nobody to you, for sure, and that's fine. But as I said, those who understand the game beyond scoring and stats know he had proven he could be of value to a good team. That's why his assistant coach from Perth recruited him to a new club.

"proving he could be of value to a good team" for one season does not make him a somebody

In the same way Pete Hooley wasn't a somebody, despite playing a key role in United's 2018 championship

But we're arguing definitions now, that's cool, the broader point about Roth and JJs I think we both agree on