Anonymous
Years ago

Boti: low scoring NBL a turn-off

THE NBL quickly needs to look closely at how it allows games to be officiated or risk losing the very audience it is trying to attract.
A sport filled with spectacle and spectacular above-the-ring action has been reduced to running in mud with three teams scoring less than 60 points last round and Wollongong's 68 points the lowest winning score in the club's storied history.
Bear in mind, the Hawks are the only inaugural club from 1979 still going around so it is a long time coming to reach a new low.
Their previous low was 69 from their five-point win at Cairns last year.
Adelaide started the ball rolling this round with 59 points against New Zealand, its lowest score since managing just 57 against Brisbane in 1983.
They were 40-minute games then, too, by the way.
Then Cairns mustered a meagre 58 in its home loss to Wollongong.
And to round out the weekend, Townsville at home and in front of a live national television audience on TEN, mustered a paltry 58 points against Perth.
The Crocs' 17 field goals for the match equalled the NBL's all-time single-game low.
Their 58 points was the club's lowest in 310 games at The Swamp and a ghastly way to farewell the league's longest-serving mascot, 100% Croc, whose appearance marked 21 years in the role.
Townsville scored just four field goals after halftime and none in the last quarter.
Rivetting television.
The Crocs' eight points for the final period were all from the free throw line.


http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/basketball/low-scoring-nbl-games-a-turn-off/story-fndekpx4-1226498056376

Topic #29613 | Report this topic


Mystro  
Years ago

Perth (and maybe the Hawks) is the only team that is playing well, all the other teams are finding their feet and improving with each game. Players missing, players carrying niggling injuries etc, there are lots of reasons but they will all improve and the scores will go up.

Reply #383590 | Report this post


Mick  
Years ago

The officiating wasn't great in the Townsville / Perth game but it didn't play any part in slowing down the scoring or the game.

There were lots of fast breaks, especially in the first half when Townsville was winning. Then they just decided to start stinking it up. No one to blame but themselves.

Reply #383591 | Report this post


Jack Toft  
Years ago

For a spectator sport, offence and suspense is the key to success, much like a good romance novel.

Reply #383593 | Report this post


KET  
Years ago

It's depressing Boti's 'Around the NBL' has been relegated to purely the AdelaideNow website.

Reply #383594 | Report this post


hoopie  
Years ago

When coaches pick athleticism and size over skills like shooting, what do you expect?

If they pick them for their dunking ability and then the defence doesn't let them dunk, there's not a lot of other options.


How does the shooting % of nowadays compare to that of the great teams of the 90s?

Reply #383595 | Report this post


Mick  
Years ago

@Hoopie: team defensive strategies, as well as individual defensive ability and particularly individual defensive effort, are light years ahead of where they were in the 90s in this country.

Reply #383596 | Report this post


Tornado  
Years ago

Defensive strategies are greater than the offensive ones.....its up to the coaches to figure out an offensive system that will get more points on the board.

Reply #383600 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

It's not just happening in the NBL, the AFL for instance has shown a decline in scoring over the last few years. More emphasis there has been based on defensive structures, zoning, flooding etc Makes it harder to score.

I think NBL isnt much different. Apart from the other above reasons (athletic over skilled etc) the quality of imports has reduced compared to the old days of the Al Greens, Leroy Loggins of this world. Teams such as Perth now employ almost full court pressure the entire game which takes time off the shot clock etc thus in turn offenses are rushed etc.

There are a whole host of reasons why and they all add up to the current product, but I guess the point is that it isnt confined to our sport.

Reply #383601 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Watch a game from the mid to late 80s and see the contact that defenders were allowed then compared to now.

But if the game was called that tight now there would be 100 threads on here about how soft referees are and how they aren't allowing players to play defence.

NBL/Referees can't win.

Reply #383616 | Report this post


PeterJohn  
Years ago

Anon #383616 - brings back memories of watching Mark Davis' trademark dribble-bump-dribble-bump-dribble-bump, then step back-shoot to force the defender back and get a shot close to the basket. Never got called for charging and defenders couldn't push back without getting called for a foul.

Reply #383618 | Report this post


Camel 31  
Years ago

Diamon Simpson pretty good , but sixers coaches not fans. Petrie looks like could be a big scorer
Seems NBL admitted he should not have been ejected

Reply #383623 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Clarke refused to blame the officiating, but said Luke Schenscher - who appears to have suffered the most from officials putting away their whistles to ignore holding and illegal shunting - would need to get the ball closer to the basket.

Schenscher had just two points on 1-of-6 shooting in the 14-point loss to the Breakers after scoring four on 1-of-7 shooting against Melbourne.


http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/basketball/nbl-low-scores-great-defence-or-foul-play/story-fndekpx4-1226498065959

Reply #383637 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

I'm not adverse to watching tight low scoring NBL games, as previously stated more NBL teams are committing to defensive schemes/tactics more than ever. I actually really enjoy watching a team (Perth Wildcats) that can strangle the opposition through their suffocting full court defense. We should also keep in mind that we're only heading in to the 3rd week of the NBL & I'm sure scoring output will go upwards very soon, when opposing coaches work out to counteract these defensive schemes/tactics.

Reply #383664 | Report this post


Woody Venkat  
Years ago

Go back to 48 minutes please.

Reply #383667 | Report this post


Isaac  
Years ago

Would 48 minutes just mean more of the same defensive grind? I think 48-vs-40 is a separate argument. It's like wanting higher scores in soccer and playing for five hours instead of limiting the goalkeeper's box or giving away more penalties.

Reply #383677 | Report this post


Spursfan  
Years ago

^or scrapping the offside rule, that would be good.

Reply #383684 | Report this post




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