My guesses below. Will be a close season and injuries, form lapses and home court advantages could play a bigger role than usual.

Brisbane
Townsville
Melbourne
West Sydney
Adelaide
Cairns
New Zealand
Hunter
Sydney
Perth
Wollongong

Hmmm... don't know about Wollongong going bottom, nice thought though.

I agree going to be tough with no easy beats.

Townsville
Brisbane
Adelaide
Melbourne
Wollongong
Sydney
Wests
Hunter
NZ
Perth
Cairns

Somehow i dont think u can expect wollongong to finish bottom, especially with the pick of the best player (in my opinion) in the league....darnell mee. I dont think u should rate the 6ers that high, very ambitious if you ask me!

razorbacks-dwight and Mckinnon fit they win
brisbane-last years team go again and the league has not improved
breakers-have talent will gel
townsville-good calvary- charge home
adelaide-too many black holes not enuff team
hawks-will surprise but a donut
kings-gorj has midseason vein pop
cairns-age+injury causes 2nd half fade out
pirates-miss the wookie too much
tigers -age does finally weary them
wildcats- burstons knees and rashad gets a lot of attention-spells trouble

I reckon Boti is overrating Townsville. Sure, they've got a great list of good young players but there will be plenty of inconsistency with them because they are so young. I also think Rose is showing his age and is prone so similar iconsistencies these days. One day he'll play well, the next he'll shoot 2/12.

Rillie and Calvary will star, Reidy will be reliable, the rest will be up and down.

Mid table for me.

Other than that it's reasonably similar to my predictions, although I think Cairns will be a bit better than second last.

But it does look like being the most even comp for years and it makes predictions tougher than ever.

I picked Wollongong for close to the bottom because they're very weak up front with Rice and Ballinger. After that, their forwards give up size -- Saville, Pilon, Rigby -- and their only real strength is with their guards.

I think that Boti is overrating Sydney! In the middle they have Knight and Wheeler, then not much more. They have Bruton and Smith, a couple of good young guards, but then that's about it. Thalo Green and an unannounced second import don't really cover for the loss of last year's imports.

I also think that he's off with NZ and Cairns. The NZ line-up especially is pretty decent - Olson, Henare, Boucher, Cameron, Tait, then Thompson, Chappell, Redhage, Pepper, Truslove - every player has a bit of experience which can't be said for all rosters this year.

Our committee varies a little from Bottie. Sydney to finish top at the end of the minor round especially if the officials allow the international rules as far as defense is concerned. Holding bumping cutters will hurt a lot of soft/old teams. Still have Bruton Smith Wheeler etc. and the best pick up and rookie of the year Luke Kendall. Brisbane with Freeman Black Castle and old man Rucker etc. Townsville good pickups off season with decent imports and should have been ours Newley, Woolongong missing Dench but still have Mee, Adelaide, Farley Maher have to stay healthy Rees was old two seasons ago and has not got younger in Brisbane where he hardly played, where is Redhage? Did we even know or see him play? Where is our recruiting. Sign him and don't sign Reees or Cooper. Will do well to finish top six and could go to eighth or ninth with injuries. New Zealand could finish top four but inexperience may cost a few games and positions. Perth will finish higher then most think still with the best point guard in the country even though he is not getting any younger. Melbourne, old, rotation of their players poor, legs are gone. Will win games with Bradtke still the best big man in the game. Watching Andrew play now is like watching George Foreman box. Was great once. Cairns could rise a few positions depends on who keeps healthy. Hunter far more competitive but still will be at the bottom.

Good tips Jay. Redhage was not an option once we already had Rychart and Farley though. Still a good pick-up from the local leagues.

Point taken but the word is he is the real deal and is the reason I put NZ higher on the list. Give up Farley for Redhage or give up Rychart. I guess you go for the bird in the hand. Its the old if it works you are a hero if not your a zero.

With our guard stocks the way they are, I don't think missing Farley was an option. And Rychart was a safe, proven choice.

But I've also read good things about him. Same with Horvath and Calvary. Nice to have three promising big men in the comp this year.

Who knows -- maybe one will be in Adelaide next year if Rees retires?

My picks....

Brisbane
Hunter (very good team on paper)
Wollongong
Adelaide
Melbourne
Sydney
Perth
Townsville
Cairns
New Zealand
West Sydney

Yogee - Hunter second?

You can't be serious.

One of the smallest and weakest backcourts in the comp.

Second import spot still vacant less than a week out from the season.

Their strength seems to be their front court with Melmeth, Cullen and Hinder but that's hardly intimidating.

A bunch of guys on the bench who have promoted from ABL.

Add to that their best player, Melmeth, rarely ever sees out a season due to injury.

They'll struggle to evem make the playoffs, let alone finish 2nd.

1/ Brisbane
2/ Sydney
3/ Wollongong
4/ Townsville
5/ New Zearland
6/ Melbourne
7/ Adelaide
8/ West Sydney
9/ Cairns
10/ Hunter
11/ Perth

Having played against Redhage he's definately a decent baller and very consistant. He should do really well in the league as he's a quiet spoken, blue collar player who works his ass off each and every game and is still only young. He would have been a good fit for Adelaide but they've done alright out of Rychart.But the problem is the Sixers don't look outside the state for new players, especially bench players. Look at the sixers bench, they're all a bunch of young kids who will never be a success in the NBL, so why not try to recruit someone who's going to help the club. Look at jason Williams as he is a prime example. There are a shit load of better players out in the ABA in different conferences who would destroy our bottom 4 bench players!
I'm not sure if I would say Luke Kendall is a star just yet. Good player i'll give him that but stop his outside shot and he doesn't have much, plus pretty lazy on "D". But it will probably come down to him or Newley for the award depending on the oportunities they get with their respected clubs.

I dont think the 6ers development recruitment program is going that badly?

Holmes looks like a future Boomer and Forman is on the verge of a breakout season.

Brisbane
Melbourne
Adelaide
Townsville
West Sydney
NZ
Sydney
Cairns
Wollongong
Perth
Hunter

Hunter second? Yogee, WTF??

Can I have some of whatever Yogee's been smoking?

I still think Hunter is the sleeper team...everyone is writing them off, and they will catch everyone by surprise.

Dr Hurley has a great coaching record, and a great development history as well (dont forget, 3 of the greatest players ever in the NBL have come through his teams at one time....Gaze, Bradtke and Vlahov)

mmmm was gaze ever in hurley's side other than when playing for oz?

bradtke, heal and longley all played together at the ais

and hurley's record at international level does leave a bit to be desire he tended to play his teams in set rotations and could be found out subbing players that were 'hot' out the game because their allotted minutes were up.

but yogee if you think he can make a team into something they clearly aren't you keep dreaming ...

i also think that andrew gaze was a player molded a) by his own talent b) from the coaching he received from a young age from his dad.

Vlahov by memory played college in the us and bradtke improved heaps playing with and training against the great mark davis.

Oh, I am pretty sure that I will be proven wrong with Hunter.....

But, well, if I'm not I can say "tell you so" :)

(guess who's back) I always love reading Boti's comments - one liners - for the players each team has lost. He really hates Kingma with a passion, although that hairy Spanish guy at the Olympics is a MUCH better wookie!