Perth should take this one comfortably.

"The dark days before Cotton"? What does that even mean? The dark days being the one slightly down year where they didnt win the championship, but still made the playoffs. And is Perth supposed to spank Illawarra every time they come here regardless of position?

"The whole world is talking about Lamelo Ball which means nobody in Perth has heard of him" - By whole world, you mean the NBL, the NBA and Lamelo Balls legion of fans and followers? I agree that nobody outside of that has probably heard of him, but i dont get how Perth people are specifically excluded as a general rule.

Im picking Perth, becsuse as D2.0 says, its tradition to spank them everytime they come here, especially now that we have Cotton.

FWIW lots of people seem to know about Ball - maybe it's the press coverage locally. I've had more non-basketball people in my life ask me about Ball than any one else in the league, even Bogut.

Ball? I'll be there to see Ogilvy

"I'll be there to see Ogilvy get dunked on"

Fixed it for you Bol.

"crazy large number of Ennis jerseys purchased and regularly seen being worn all over the city"

And I still wear my Ennis jersey to the games to this day. They have also been the most comfortable jerseys that are actually singlets and not tank style tops that choke your neck (disclaimer: sometimes I wear my #23 Muo jersey for lols).

"Unbalanced? They're literally a proper 4 man away from actually being a really good team.“

Is Andersen still serviceable at the 4? He was a good floor spacer and finisher there, more so for the Boomers. I haven't seen the Hawks this season, I’m leaving that to the many watching Ball.

" Illawarra are an unbalanced team in which will hurt them this season."

Kinda of disagree, yeah they have too many guards, but I think the talent on this roster counteracts that. Once these guys start gelling and get their rotations right, I think they're a very good chance to make the finals and I'd be a bit scared coming up against them at that time, unlike past seasons where every team jostles for the spot to play them in the first round when they have made the finals. Shame they didn't keep Beveridge, he'd give this group another reason to back them.

Their main imbalance for me is in terms of experience. A lot of their team is at the extremes of that scale.
That doesn't mean they can't win games though.

Could seriously get close to a record crowd tonight. I know people and have seen people online who are super hyped to see Ball. Most of these people have never been to the NBL or haven't been in years.

Great to hear.

Does anyone know what the record crowd for a Wildcats game is at RAC Arena?

According to the Austadiums website the arena has hit 13,611 (which presumably is max. capacity in basketball mode) 3 times

05/03/17 - Basketball - NBL Grand Final: Perth v Illawarra - 13,611
14/01/17 - Basketball - NBL: Perth v Adelaide - 13,611
12/01/18 - Basketball - NBL: Perth v Melbourne - 13,611

Thanks mate

Boone and ogilvy starting doesn't work for mine, that starting 5 stunk it up twice last round too. That needs to change, i would think.

@Haz, take a pill dude.

The difference between a poor crowd and a sellout in Perth, is not much at all. This is a Friday Night game, so I'd expect a turnout over 13k.

Yes, the Hawks are unbalanced, but like I said lets wait and see how Flinn ties it all together.

His media interviews are superb.

SBS stream has died.

Is Sunday Dech still being paid by Perth?

Looks like Ogilvie shitting the bed in Perth again.

Hawks starting five is terrible. Get Ogilvy out and put brooks in.

Watching the ESPN feed on Foxtel cause I can't get to the game.... hey ESPN, how about turning up the commentators, because they are being drowned out. Terrible!!!!!!!!!!

Good commentary combo, didn't catch their names.

Cam Luke & Jenni Screen

Dario Hunt doesn't look too flash

AJ... League needs to implement a mercy rule where he is automatically inactive for any games in Perth.

Lol AJ is a walking brain fart

Get on with it fuck it's the 2nd quarter

Ever since I said that about Hunt he's been on a tear

The commentators have got to SHUT UP. Let the game breathe. Plus the audio mix is wrong. But Lachie Reid sounds great!

I'd be fine with the Hawks not fouling Hunt again. Feel like I've seen him shoot 20 of the worst FTs I've ever seen already, even those that go down.

Death, taxes and the Illawarra Hawks being blown out in Perth.

Commentators should be louder if anything. Mix is off.

Jenni Screen talks way too much.

Ogilvy could be the worst player in the nbl.

Cotton needs to be a boomer

Psychologically AJ is cooked in Perth. When the fixture came out imagine his relief at there only being one ILL @ PER game. Heartless.

It's amazing that after all these years, Ogilvy still hasn't realised how shit his beard looks.

He's like Samson, all his power comes from his facial hair. If he shaves it off, he somehow gets marginally worse.

twenty four - HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAAHHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA.

Are Kelly and Flynn (sp?) the 2 coaches with the least capacity to make in-game adjustments?

This could be partially due to roster limitations.

Haven't looked too closely tonight but in previous seasons he had been rocking a neck line shaved way too high. F'in LOL!

Would cut ogilvy and give all minutes to sammy froling.

Ogilvy is that tall guy you see that gets asked if he plays basketball.

He doesn't know how to answer

Ball just Damien Martined the shit out of Damien Martin.

AJ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why is Dario hunt mimicking markelle faulks at the free throw line?

josh boone and Dario hunt are going to cost hungry jacks a bomb this year

Career night for AJ in Perth.

Suddenly Cairns don't look so bad.

Ogilvy is that tall guy you see that gets asked if he plays basketball.

He doesn't know how to answer

Seriously, who is teaching these Ball boys how to shoot? Some of the worst techniques I have ever seen.

LaMelo Ball's got a long way to go.

"Seriously, who is teaching these Ball boys how to shoot? Some of the worst techniques I have ever seen."

Their coach would have beaten Jordan.

Just wait for the youngest Ball brother... Iso

This is so boring, with shit commentary to boot.

Good idea - let's see some of the future.

Stream working fine here. But that's because my ISP is freakin awesome.

The calls of Ball being a potential top 5 pick on the back of a meaningless pre season game was utterly laughable.

He has a heap of improvement ahead of him.

MynameisCamLukeIamnotfitforTVcommentarybecause
Iovertalkandspeaksoquicklyit'slikeIdon'teven
havespacingbetweenmywordsdribbledribbledribbledogshit.

Whoever gave Jenny Screen a microphone needs to be performance reviewed ASAP. I hate D Russell but i'd rather five of him on every game at the moment than the majority of people the league is trying to flog off as commentators this year.

The only real potential positive for this Hub studio commentary in Melbourne was that we could get the best commentators doing most games but we're getting the B leaguers every game.

Has Casey even called a game yet? Gaze has done what one game?

Pay peanuts (and put them in a cage), get monkeys.

My SBS stream has been flawless.

Anon Ball just turned 18 not 19

What's melts and pressed on the SBS stream?

AJ Ogilvy needs to spend less time in the shower room with the water off "just chattin'" and more time on the practice floor, because he was as close to useless as a 7 footer could possibly be on a basketball court.

The game was a bit scrappy but Perth proved once again why they will be in the Finals again. You can book that ticket already.

I don't think Matt Flynn can coach or even appropriately rotate players. Unless there is an injury we don't know about, Sunday Dech shouldn't see minutes above Aaron Brooks, and probably shouldn't see minutes at all.

LaMelo did pretty well but struggled to shoot the ball. It's a little embarrassing that Damo couldn't slow him down much from doing whatever he wanted to do. Perth threw a lot of intensity into the game and Melo looked completely un-fazed by it. He's going to be a star.

La Melo who? La Melo air ball. Commentators please stop talking this guy up.

Perth looking scary.

Hahah just came from the game where we enjoyed the Ogilvy show. Now i get to read everyone here giving him a roasting LOL

Lamello, guy is very good for his age, he will go far but stop bailing him out with star calls and treating him like he is an accomploshed star. For the hawks handing him the team may be the best financial boost they have had in years. On court though, he took way to many heatcheck type shots that come with a kid that thinks he is the best player on his team, at the rec on a weeknight.
Also hawks, aj and boone, where is the spacing? Never going to work, ever. Where was Conread? At least he spaces the floor.

Dario gives perth a very different look, his ability to pass and put the ball on the floor could give perth a new way to attack.

I reckon LaMelo isn't phased, because being here isn’t the end goal. It doesn’t really matter what goes on over these few months - his future is back in the US. So there’s no downside risk, which means he’s just loosey-goosey. Team results don’t actually matter.

How broke are Illawarra. A Coach who less than average as a player. Clearly can't caoch NBL.
DA. Broke. Boone Broke. Brooks, old and not broke. La Melo young and potential but NBA #1 draft pick? Seriously? Lucky to even be mentioned as a draft pick actually.
Ogilvy please just play hard and stop being a whiney bitch.
Froling. Get a hair cut and play hard. Yes you are young but please play like your ol man did HARD.
Red haired kid. Pffft. Watch the tape about how bad you played in limited minutes
Coeneradd olding but can play but please retire after this year.
Blanchfield who?
Naar and Grida try hard but not NBL material.
Its a race between Cairns and the Hawks to see who will be bottom.
Illawarra Vs Cairns on Monday should decide in ROUND 2!!! who will be bottom.

"I'm picking Perth, becsuse as D2.0 says, its tradition to spank them everytime they come here, especially now that we have Cotton."

Well yeah, that was just plain woeful.
Over by half-time
blow-out by 3/4
then watching the bench and DPs much about for most of the last quarter.

I don't know what Illawarra thought they were doing when they assembled this team, but it hasn't worked.

Lamelo, not surprisingly, looks o be a real talent, and I reckon he will benefit immensely from being in this league. The proof will be in his rookie season.

AJ must have a sore arse because he seems to have stopped flopping. Unfortunately that takes away his only meaningful contribution.

Boone remains a dominant inside big man, but he needs to be partnered with a mobile 4. Instead he's got the giant marshmallow, a geriatric Andersen, and a one-legged Froling.
Whilst outside is a veritable swarm of Point Guards.

For us, Makoj looked like a different player. Clearly he's been told to just be aggressive and crash the boards, and it worked.

Jus' got owt on bail from the Rocko Courthouse. Duz any peepz hav tha insyd info on why mah boi LT didn't suit up tonyt? Peace

Naar is garbage. Grida actually has a lot of potential but is having to do more than he should have to, and too early. Coach is a joke. Rotations bizarre.

"Wagstaff looks extra old this year." yeah, im surprised he signed for two years

Hopefully that happens when they have no shot at playoffs purely from an entertainment perspective.

Wagstaff is fine and will be fine, he came on cold and it showed, but he us a clever player and a vet, they make big plays when required, juat like hire did last year.

Blanchfield only getting six shots is a disgrace for hawks

"Oglivy under 10.5 points at Perth arena was the easiest money I've ever made"

You even found a bookie to take that bet? I'm not a betting man, but the bookies must have no clue about Australian basketball.

Anyone can please tell me where I can find the Press conference for last night's game and for every game for that matter?

Thanks. Shame NBL doesn't upkeep their website with game videos like press conferences. NBL Leaves alot to be desired.

Wagstaff was given 2 years, I'd imagine, to stop him going to SEM. Remember that teams need to have their 5 under $500k, so he remains good value.

He would normally be injected early, in the first round of subs, to provide a steadying influence off he bench, but there was no need. By the time he did get on, the game was over, so not much intensity.

In a "perfect" game he's always going to be a little redundant, but if there is an injury, or Kay gets in foul trouble, or the game is on the line, his experience will be invaluable.

Press conference was on the nbl app last night, always is. It's 2019, surely its a logical place to check.