This Kayo broadcast is leaving a bit to be desired no live scores thankfully just switched on crowd noise.

Yes coverage very average, Hooley talking to much.
Sotto has put some muscle on.
Adnam still hasn't seen a shot he doesn’t like.

The commentators don't even know the scores at QT lol

Scoreboard display issues and NBL broadcasts, name a more iconic duo

1/4 time and who knows the score, very ordinary.

First quarter stream worked fine now second quarter and it's stuck in a buffering loop.

And now the stream's gone altogether, this is really bad from Kayo.

This is pathetic.

maybe the commentators could mention the score a bit more?

Video quality is fine for me but I have no idea what the score is

I'm not certain the commentary no the score, ordinary all round, including the game. Sixers certainly got lot more quality roster, SEM got injuries but even though it’s early don’t look great. If Adnam and Terangi have to play big minutes they are finished.

I had no idea Matthew knight was Adelaide's assistant coach

Scoreboard!

Alan Williams not his sharpest tonight but he gives the Phoenix something they've really lacked down low. Qi had his moments but too inconsistent and slow on D

Williams has been ordinary imo. Defensively poor and can't make a shot. Don’t seem that smart either.

Williams' touch is off tonight but I don't expect that to last, he's clearly playing off rust.

Sotto showing some things.

Can we go back to the audio issues so we don't have to listen to the soundtrack

Cleveland might not be the season mvp, but could be the buy of the season, fantastic all round game, unselfish and plays defence.
Madut shown a bit for Phoenix. Adnam 4 from 13, 4 turnovers just before 3/4 time.

Nice little fight back from SEM in last quarter. Ok game, Brown could be very good when Creek gets back, certainly a good passer. Sixers run very deep, maybe spoilt with to many guys that need the ball. CJ looks like he's got them well organised, some really nice passing plays.

Yep happy with this outing. At worst you can say we are way more competitive than last year. We should be in every game regardless who we play.

Randle is an atrocity as a shooter

Didn't Adelaide win the blitz last year?

Randle needs to be aggressive at getting the half court set moving. In the first game of the blitz, it's not good for the crowd calling out to pass the ball.
Sotto appears not able to create his own basketball and his screens need some serious grit. He looks rather checked out, in a Naomi Osaka kinda way. I just wish the Filipino supporters give him time when he enters the floor to make some nice plays. They tend to get too hyped when the ball may come to the guy, it’s just unrealistic expectations. If it goes wrong, he must feel even worse. But I agree, he has a few extra kilos of muscle there and defensively hustled well.
Nick Marshall had his flare gun out in a huge statement saying "Coach, I want all the spare minutes please’. Excellent hustle plays and won the basketball from hard work on ball and off ball.
Te Rangi and Daniel Johnson should get together and take Michael Aylen on a fishing charter or something. Poor buggers copped too many over tacky fouls.
I’m calling it early, however Gary Browne to win the Vaughan Mayberry flop award by seasons end.

No problems with the Kayo stream at all tonight , let's hope the scoreboard issues get resolved quickly .

Re: Sixers

I'm not really liking what I'm seeing from Randall he's way too trigger happy and doesn't have the shooting ability to back it up. I know he had some big games in the G-League but that's jungle ball crap and if he keeps being such an inefficient chucker on this team CJ will either need to bench him or move him.

No matter what Randall thinks of himself he's our third best import and needs to pull his head in. When we signed him I was hoping he was going to be a spark plug off of the bench for this very reason.

Franks is clearly still hampered by the ankle injury but at least he played a few minutes, McCarron is already looking a lot better than he did last season, Harris is going be a valuable role player again, Galloway has got some nice hops, Marshall is progressing nicely for when he comes onto the roster next season and Deng Acuoth still shouldn't be in the league.

Re: Phoenix

Hooley and the other guy were banging on about how good they think the Phoenix will be but as I said earlier I think it will be a long season for them. Despite their desperate attempts to pump them up they've gone backwards and it will likely be too much for Creek carrying this team. Trey Kell might be okay but Alan Williams is fat and out of shape and teams will just hack him and send him to the line and Gary Browne might be a contender for first import cut, no way he sees out the season.

Broekhoff injured again but what's new and the team thought so little of the coach they only gave him a one year deal and all their assistants bailed in the off-season. They'll probably need to make a couple of import changes early to have any hope of making the Top 6.

Blitz started tonight, not the pre-season.

Alan Williams did ok for a new import to our league trying to adjust. Foul trouble for 4 spot and 5 spot imports is normal during the Blitz. He is a big unit and a hand full. Next to Mitch Creek, they will be a hand full to deal with.

Owen Foxwell is a good find. 2-3 months of Creek supporting him in the gym will help his body get to where his head is. Natural gifted ball knowledge. Young fella is in all the right spots, just lacks 8kg to keep himself there.

I wouldn't say he's a big unit, that's their problem they're too undersized.

Very early days, but yes SEM looked small and not very good. Same could be said of Tasmania last season and we saw how that played out.

We still hating on Mac

Southeast Melbourne lack depth compared to the last two years. Relying on import upgrade

13-12 to kings, neither side can kick it in the ocean, commentary telling me Noi is a star, at present I don't see it. Jordan Hunter looking ok.

JJs as per usual,complete and complete.

35-34 kings. Lot rust to both sides, early days, JJs get Magnay back they should be fine. Kings don't look as strong but still very good. Both sides subbing at a high rate. Crowd still full in a small stadium.

46-48 to JJs. JJs team work already looks good, Kenyon doing but still can't shoot. Kings got deep roster again.

JJs turning up the D, kings lethargic.

Coock sis not going to win mvp. It's going to be cotton again

73-53 win to JJs. Kings got talent but team work well down, started same way last season. JJs in rhythm already. McVeigh doesn't have to prance around like a tosser anymore as he has turned into a very good player, just gets it done.

Bring on the next game::)))

Pre season - do not take a lot out of it.

Am impressed with the imports - recruited according to Jackjumper basketball - team first along with talent. Impressive to have that a way of playing / culture after one season.

Very happy with Doyle and Kelly as imports, along with White and Brown as additions with McDaniel and Magnay still in reserve.

Culture.

Preseason yadda yadda Kings are a dim shadow of last season without the adams and clark combo. Waxed

I'd be surprised if we see Magnay at all this season tbh.

Think Roth said on a pod with Santa that there was no timetable for Magnay's return and that his knee was still giving him trouble.

At all the games
Chase deciding not to coach is bizarre
He is just sitting at the end of the court and occasionally sending time out signals but it's not his voice putting the team back on track on his game plan.
Jack McVeigh still a handful.

Scott Roth's culture/character first recruitment looking solid. Good upgrade from Macintosh to Kelly, and Doyle showing moments of brilliance. Big shoe to fill replacing Josh Adams and time will tell, but these guys seem like they're a great fit for the team first culture that carried them beyond individual talent last season, even the injury replacement guys seem to have bought in.

Pity about the questionable production quality. The team photos have been taken, seems pretty slack to not spend an hour adding the player photos to the overlay. Let's hope they get it together before the season.

Luke travers has really improved

And cotton is still the best player in the league

Are we ready to admit that Webster is finished, and nothing but a liability out there?

Cotton stays healthy, yes mvp. Liked the look of Hayes Brown. Cairns trail by two, look better, Pinder looking good.

Not lot D being played.

Travers has improved and grown.

Wildcats getting bad calls but Rillie has to handle it better

Cotton 33 at 3/4 time. Blanchfield looking crap, Webster as well.

Travers without ScoMo is better. Shocked to be sitting here.

You can tell the cavs have taught travers in the summer league to use length and anticipation on defensive end

Wait till gets his citizenship and Perth gets another import. It's just insanely unfair for the rest of the league

Odd timeout bbbhh by rillie

I reckon the real improvement with Travers occurred when he was living with and working out with Dyson Daniels in LA after last season prior to the draft.

Rillie intense as a coach on the sidelines. Someone said here in Darwin that the current Perth management are 'very demanding' on their coaches which has resulted in their coaches being a bit out of character, ie super tight and intense on the sidelines.

Rillie certainly hasn't been on the junk food in his time in the US.

On the other side of the coin Drugen the Cairns assistant looks like he’s enjoying the local hospitality.

Rillie certainly hasn't been on the junk food in his time in the US.

Fun game. Cotton doing cCotton things, and Pinder ate Manek alive.

"You can tell the cavs have taught travers in the summer league to use length and anticipation on defensive end"

They drafted him because he had that.

Will be good to see Brantley tear it up today. The import who will be one of the first to go home because he's terribly terrible and not an MVP candidate.

Manu

Will Jarrell Brantley tear it up?
Or will Breakers tear up his contract?

I think Manu has decided to switch it up a little from a team to player train. Choo-choo!

Buzzas and Brantley. Everything I ever wanted right here

Breakers by 10 at 1/4 time, looking good. Baynes playing, looks slow. Sobey off bench.

Baynes certainly looking tough inside, three points shot not dropping yet.

Gak playing very good team basketball, assists and boards.

I am sitting on the baseline meters away from Aaron Baynes and his footwork is pretty fast and slick for someone of his weight. Just no conditioning yet.
And his voice on defence is loud. Really loud.

Game turned around, Brisbane by six at the half. All Brisbane bigs doing well, Baynes, Gak and Froling. Johnson strutting his stuff as well.
NZ got get tougher defensively.

@ Ballin fan, I'm envious of you, enjoy.

Baynes constantly talking to Gak. Gak cannot stop smiling. Chemistry very evident.

Baynes has done everything, including wiping the floor. Brisbane look fantastic at both ends after slow Stuart. Playing very good team ball.

Abercrombie only played less than a minute. Hopefully not injured again.

Entertaining game, bullets by nie at 3/4 time. Gak impressive.

I had Brisbane as a dark horse for the championship but if they click they are right up there with Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne as a legitimated title chance

Bullets by 12, Brisbane played there bench and dp for last five minutes. NZ got lot work to do, at least they will have home games. Baynes, Gak and Johnson looking great but all Brisbane were good. NZ defensively are crap, Brantley looks like a street baller.

Flowers is not big enough to cover the post/paint by himself in this league.
Mind you Rillie looks to be trying something similar

Haven't watched any of the games but keen to know what the crowds are like. I'd say this is a bit of a feeler to gauge viability of a Darwin NBL team.

They don't seem to be playing at the Convention centre which is a shame because it's a great little precincts (much like the Hobart Jackjumpers model)

No Goulding or illi for United. United got some old guys.

Hawks by 9, Melbourne looking very ordinary.

Goulding better be in career best form because this Melbourne team is not very good

Darwin convention centre is not built for basketball. Actually went out of their way to make sure it didn't comply.

Hukiporti plus 7, Humphries minus 14. Early days.

United playing dumb selfish basketball. Down by 19 at 3/4.

Hukporti should be seeing the lion's share of minutes until/if Humphries gets the rust off at a minimum.

Humphries started, shakes head, looked uninterested. Melbourne got a lots to do. Hawks got a good 7-8 players, play those two import guards 35 minutes a game and they should be mid tableish.

United were never going to be a serious threat with this roster and I still can't believe Vickerman okayed the signing of Humphries. They need Landale or JLA to fall out of their leagues and come back to give them a real chance.

Darwin convention centre is not built for basketball. Actually went out of their way to make sure it didn't comply.

Hawks are only missing King, yes?

Plus Grida who'll be out 10-12 weeks and replaced by White

XRM was horrible, 0 from 6 and 2 assists, 5 turnovers and his first couple were Aireys

Keep that up and he's gone

Tucker has played 3 and scored 20+ in each. Can flat out get buckets. Will certainly be one of the leagues leading scorers

Hukporti was huge.

If that's a sign of improvement he's made in the off season (He's only 20) it bodes very very well for United.

Finished game, not surprised at result with CG and Ili out

Pre season is mostly about sussing out new players and young players and working out how the team will fit.

Hawks, I liked some of Frolings stuff, last season was disappointing, if he can continue the trajectory I thought he was on after 20/21 they might surprise

Froling was very good in his role early last season, but did drop away later in the season. He and Mathiang both need good seasons this year.

Amazing to see Baynes out there. He brings something very unique to the Bullets and will likely be the most influential big man in the league. Best inside deterrent since Bogut. Impossible to get around him. If he can get fit he squarely puts himself back in Boomers conversations with a good season here.

He's timed his NBL stint well too with the exodus of quality bigs since last season, JLA, Duop Reath, Jarell Martin, Yanni Wetzell, Zhou Qi even the likes of Makur Maker, Bairstow, Hodgson, Jawai and Ogilvy too.

Pretty awesome for the next crop of NBL bigs coming through to have the opportunity to go up against and learn from someone of Baynes experience and quality.

It was impressive, he gets to much better and the bullets fire that is mvp calibre .

Even if he doesn't they may give him the Bogut treatment and give him the MVP regardless.

Baynes is a legit man mountain out there

A few of the newbies are only 6'8 Thomas, Williams, Pardon

United's 2 young guys look like they've both shed weight. Sotto still a beanpole.

Baynes will just bully teams. If Johnson can become a scoring machine they will be very very good

This is special watching a performance like this from Antonius Cleveland.

Sixers the real deal, there going to be entertaining and efficient. Tasmania need Magnay back quickly, to short, will play finals though.

Jesus 19 points with 2:30 left in the first.

Sotto has got heavier but still lacks core strength. Moving better and improved but I don't see big minutes yet.

Randall starting to hit nothing but cotton.

Adelaide looking good

McCarrons in his perfect spot this season. Scoring talent around him, so he can focus on distributing and all the little things.

Acouth not as good as Sotto either.

Sixers got all bases covered, CJ seems to in full control, three good to great imports and good Aussie core around them.
JJs not in the same class but still very team oriented, should play finals. Not convinced on Doyle or Kelly as imports yet, early days. Hopefully Magnay is not to far away.
Good all round game, entertaining if not that physical.

Adelaide look good - stacked.

36ers get the win but lost the second quarter
Glass security still An issue although JJs are always surprisingly wrong on the boards.

You gotta admire Kia.
He just got Smashed on the court he knows it you can see it in his face and now he is doing a meet and greet and there is a massive line up for him. The line goes forever.
he had to take a break for a while ( toilet or fluid intake or just a bit overwhelmed ) but he is back now.
He is doing all the right PR things by the league but you can tell he is desperate to play better

Great we got something to watch other than a funeral.

Wildcats looking far better than last season.

SEM can't chuck it in the ocean, looking so disjointed.

Cats are deep this season

Brown should be ok as import, Williams looks so unfit, Creek and Broekhoff should strengthen SEM but but on present showing will be back end of comp.

RACV Arena...haa haa

Zunic looking like a nice prospect

Phoenix also missing Kel

Wildcats have made the right defensive adjustments form the last game

Webster was good. Manek was better. Travers was ok.Zunic was a revelation

Yes Zunic is looking very solid, could take over from Norton by seasons end. Cats back in the grove, not writing SEM off yet but lot work to do.

Who was on play-by-play for the Wildcats game?

@koberulz
It was Joey Montagna, former AFL player.
Guess they giving him a crack as he has been doing the AFLW and AFL a little over last couple years and cant hurt to have a couple extra on the rotation.
I thought he did well, although as a St Kilda supporter I am biased! haha

Boydie
www.basketballblokes.com

Most likely Cleveland the best 36ers player for several years now.

Let's not get carried away with one meaningless pre-season pyjama game where he was unconscious for 4 mins.

Cats are extremely deep. I hope Rillie runs Travers at the point and let's Norton come off the bench.

I dont pay too much attention to pre season or the Blitz stuff... but turned on the Cats v Phoenix game last night. The refs must have called about 10 travel calls over the course of the game. From watching at home 80% of them looked fine? Have I been watching too much NBA or did others find it weird?

All I know about travelling is that I'll be travelling to Adelaide next year to see if the Cats can overcome the 36ers in the grand final. Obviously it's way too early to engrave the trophy just yet I mean come on. If it was a foregone conclusion I wouldn't bother heading over, duh! But the sixers' home court advantage does give them the advantage of course.

@Big Fudge - I was the same, most looked good apart from Hayes-Brown during junk time with some obvious ones. It was almost like the players were too fast for the refs.
I think by the end the commentators said there was 14 called!

Wow Luuuc I've always wanted a 36ers-Wildcats Grand Final. I hope you're a real oracle.

*another 36ers-Wildcats Grand Final

I thought you could tell the future not the past.

I want five games and the last one not to be a total massacre.

Both sides got pinged for travel when pivot foot never moved. They never went anywhere and certainly didn't beat their opponent.
The 3 last night called 3 seconds a few times, multiple travel and a tech basket abuse when he appeared to be avoiding a player on the floor. Coaches got T’d up for 'FOUL’, in which it resembled a Subway mugging more than a foul, but a clear missed call.

Too many of these refs make no call or no verbal preventative measures to address. If you don’t call, it rarely gets picked up on their post game crit. Wrong calls do.

Agree with all, the travels are bull shit, they call some absolute crap. To me it spoils the game. Call fouls when they are there but let the game flow, to many stoppages.

Kev you do know the NBL post game evaluations have evolved from a referee coach going in post game and talking about the calls live don't you?

Four minutes gone to the first nz time out, they look absolute rubbish.

Mudronja, never seen a pass he likes and never seen a shot he doesn't like.

Derick Pardon can't make a lay up, there only player is the next star. There defence is woeful. NZ coach coach be first one gone.

Vodanavic giving nz a startch, Pardon not big enough for the five.

Well Brantley is subpar isn't he

Much better quarter from nz, vadonavic and Rupert bringing them back into it. Not impressed with breakers imports. Illawarra got a good 6-7 but once they go deeper the defensive end suffers badly.

Breakers back in it by playing none of their imports to start the quarter. Rupert is a gun, far better than Besson. Hawks just not deep enough. Coenrad, White are not going to get it done off the bench. I see no value in Mudronja other than iso ball. There import four had better be good.

This is your regular reminder not to overreact to preseason games.

NZ missed a ton of 3's early and were down a bunch. Shots falling now and they’re up .
Rupert looks to be the goods

Props to the breakers for muscling their way back into this one.

Shaping up to be a very competitive season overall, love to see it

Did anyone catch Joey Montagna's offhand comment last night that he'd spoken to Magnay and the timeline to return was 3 months? Starting to really feel like a big liability for this JJ's roster

Yes, us punters should not be fooled by preseason, I agree. Neither of these two sides will trouble the top teams though. Ended up a fair game.

I wonder how many times J Brantley will pass to J Brantley for a dunk

Is that Damon Lowry commentating with Montagna?

Lowry really is not commentator material geez

Brisbane go ten deep. Cairns over dribble the ball.

Thanks Conner.

I've watched grace from 1994 to the day he retired and I can say Cotton is a better overall scorer Lowry. Cotton is arguably the best cats import/ player ever.

Total practice game, Brisbane got some depth though, Cairns will be trouble some, can't see finals though.
Cotton clearly the best and I’ve been watching for decades.

Hopefully Lowery in commentary is a pre-season thing only.

It was last year.

Should be a couple better games tonight, Lisch coaching kings, certainly a future senior coach in the making.

To the person above who said that Montagna said Magnay is out for three months: this was not said.

SEM got lot injuries, doing ok though.

Phoenix by 7@ 1/4. Brown injured. Defensively both sides soft.

I've watched every game, I think the refs think they are the entertainment, so many shit foul calls.

SEM four players on four fouls with quarter to play. The refs are looking good. Pineau is an underrated player, defensively when on Cook been very good, he doesn't offer a lot offensively but Phoenix should use him more.

Soares looking good for kings, Noi still a defensive liability. Kings on line 30 times with 1/4 to play, SEM 17.

The refereeing is so bad.

Kings will be good again, not as good as last season. Bench not as deep. Imports look fine though.

Williams not given much chance as continuously in foul trouble, Brown injured and not convincing. SEM no names doing good, Madut, Foxwell.

Hukporti looking great, Humphries showing a bit as well. Unless Perth play Hayes- Brown more there not going to compete with teams with big 5.

Blanchfield looks unfit, Perth getting smashed

Hukporti not in a good way - hope he's okay.

I'd say Achilles and he is done for the season

Knee imo, certainly looked bad, hopefully it isn't, was playing great.

Man that's terrible - Achilles is what’s being reported on Twitter too.

Hate to look ahead already but what other local bigs couldn’t United look at? What’s Hodgson up to these days?

Still no sign of Himporti
Helped/carried from the court moaning very loudly.

What's Hodgson up to these days?

Ok he's out now on crutches

Perth not looking good, Manek not showing anything, Blanchfield has only ever played well under Gleeson. Travers isn't not point guard, no matter what homicide says.

When he went down he looked around as if to see who kicked him, classic achilles.

Perth not looking good, Manek not showing anything, Blanchfield has only ever played well under Gleeson. Travers isn't not point guard, no matter what homicide says.

Those yells from Hukporti in pain and screaming no no no, man thats haunting.
Kinda sounded like he knew that was probably the draft $ millions gone. How depressing

This is catastrophic if that's a major injury to Hukporti

Both to him at this stage of his career, and for United's season

Yeah watched replay and it looks achilles. That's brutal. Won't be getting drafted now.

United better hope Humphries knee holds up

That's terrible for Hukporti, I was really looking forward to seeing him make some massive strides after an impressive campaign last season.
Hopefully it doesn't set his career back too much and he can get back on court asap.

Its encouraging that White and DJ recovered so well

He could be the next White. United again 23/24 then NBA 24/25.

Hukporti was looking great already yesterday, yes hopefully he can do a White and Vasilavic and get back, younger than both those two so that's in his favour.

Twelve month lay off, does he rehab in Australia or go back to Germany could be the question.

Could Fanbo Zeng slide in as a replacement?

McCall coaching Cairns, not certain why.

Forde is right there with him so that's completely different to what Sydney we’re doing.
He likely was going to sit out the game ( he has had a couple of bigs talls on his back )

I know it's preseason but Cairns are horrible. Hogg looks fairly good and that’s it. Defensively atrocious.
JJs looking the goods but hard to judge re the opposition, said it before, McVeigh is now a player, Roth has been fantastic for him.

Cairns are barely putting an NBL1 squad on the floor this game. It's pre-season, they lost to Brisbane by a point last game with again playing with a restricted roster. It's pre-season, get a grip.

Enjoying Gibson commentary, not over the top and talking about the game instead of all other bull s. The caller is ok as well.

Cairns have shirted Deng, Antonio, Pinder and McCall and now only down by seven
Against JJs who are resting no one

Great fight back Cairns. Hogg is a player.

Against JJs who are resting no one

Justin Robinson shirted for Illawarra
Grinda also out injured

Good luck beating this 36ers team if franks plays like this with all the weapons they currently have

It is certainly good to see Adelaide win the Blitz for the second year in a row ;-)

I've been thinking, what if Cleveland played, also, last night.....
...36ers tooo strong...

A lot of teams here at the Blitz have been experimenting with small ball options and in that regard Adelaide will be unmatched. Also V Hawks we also had complete control of the boards
But It will be interesting to see our tactics defending Baynes who looks like he will completely totally dominate players like Sotto and Acouth
And there are other new bigs who are largely unknown
It's early days so with Hukporti very very unfortunately going down the comp seems wide open to me at this stage.

If WMW and Leafa are your point guards you'll be struggling. Preseason yes, but nz defensively is absolute garbage. Kings haven’t got out second gear and are kicking arse.

NZ coach got no idea, Brantley looking poor on both ends of the floor. Early days but nz got lot to do. Brown looking there best.

I wonder why the NT chose to have their flag inside the stadium upside down for the Blitz. A bit of Territory pride by hanging their flag correctly wouldn't go astray.

Kings are a machine, nz did ok when kings played there bench. Rupert was there best, not convinced on any breakers imports.

Bullets extremely competitive against United having shirted Walker Mitchell and Harrison. Ie with just one import

36ers back to back Blitz champs.

Good sign of bad omen?

Good sign I reckon this year. Last year the Sixers never got Humphries back, which left a giant void in the team. Also, the quality of the imports this year is clearly much higher. Only real question mark for me is lack of proven bigs off the bench. Kai, Jaylin and Acuoth haven't given many good minutes so far. I feel confident this team can make the final 4 though.