Luuuc
Years ago
10:00pm EST
Official Stats Page
Another tough game. Fingers crossed that Steph Talbot is available.
Again we go in as favourites with the bookies but after what I saw in the Asia Cup (where we were also Liz-less) I am far from confident.
Japan hangin in there with the u,s without top 2 of starting 5 injured.
Giacontigers
Years ago
Hopefully we have a full side. Be a massive failure if the Opals can't even get out of the group phase.
Japan were super hot from 3 point territory for 1 quarter but after that it was never in doubt
A poor showing and wholesale changes need to happen.
how do I watch something other than swimming on this 7+ app?
We suck at containing players on the dribble drive
PlaymakerMo
Years ago
7plus match link: https://7plus.com.au/live-tv?channel-id=TOK07
Mitchell 8 points at 100%
Everyone else 6 points at 27%
Onesies were a bad idea, they didnt think it through did they..
PlaymakerMo
Years ago
Our defence isn't up to standard, but China is also playing well. Overall it's a pretty high quality game IMO.
Talbot really needs to shoot fewer threes. That's just not her game.
"Talbot really needs to shoot fewer threes. That's just not her game."
She is one of the best 3P shooters in the WNBA at the moment
If we lose, we'd have to beat Puerto Rico by atleast 40 atm.
AussiePride
Years ago
"They seem to struggle moving in these uniforms"
Need to get George Costanza to have a look at the material.
Ebzery been great, defence picked up, might not be dead yet.
Big Ads
Years ago
What's with the screaming from the Chinese bench!
This team will be lucky to get to 1/4s let alone progress.
PlaymakerMo
Years ago
"She is one of the best 3P shooters in the WNBA at the moment"
Yet she also 29% from three in the WNBL bubble. Hence I base my opinion on her shooting ability over her career.
Moreover, shooting high-quality, open shots when the defence has collapsed is one thing. Quick-shooting three in a quarter when off-balance and you've barely probed the defence is another.
Both sides look crap. Glad we are hanging in though.
Anon
Years ago
Commentator is a numpty, keeps calling them "clubs" and insists on saying Talbot is the one who crashed heads when it was Ebzery, where did they find this David Attenborough wannabe
Again bad substitutions from Brondello, Opals spend more time fixing suits and trying to suck them in, agree with above comment , they don't seem to
Move well in these ridiculous suits
And seem to lack any motivation.
Need to be much better in second half
Not even 2 minutes gone and forced into a timeout
offense trash
defense trash
Lazy and out of shape o top of older bodies and slow footspeed.
Clean out. If they keep everyone till 2022 I'll be pissed.
If I have a sip for every open layup we give up and dumb pass we throw I'll be pissed
Gifu sandy, Paul Cheryl, Olaf. We went from silver in 2018 to crapOla 19/20/21
?
Years ago
we will not win whilst we play the screens the way we are - China getting open nearly every offence off their screening actions - often we are 2-3 metres away. The pin down screen works well for them.
Hard to believe after winning silver in 2019 how far we have fallen.
Players in form like Sami, Lauren n shyla left out
Bol
Years ago
Opals cant buy a bucket at the moment and china are getting too many easy looks inside. Looking like a blowout
Shyla so in form she got cut after being drafted with a high pick.
Sami and Lauren would not change this result.
Hard to watch.
Guys are sluggish, sloppy and uninspiring.
And damn that commentator really is an imbecile!
@?
Es our screen action offensively and defensively are woeful.
Nicholson and Heal would be very useful, Nicholson plays hard and Heal could at least shoot the three.
This is mind bogglingly bad. How are we going to win games if we score 9 points in a quarter? Why do we keep trying to enter it to thoroughly defended posts? I can't even tell what's wrong with us half the time because there's too much to point to.
Lauren is a good Defender at WNBL, this is not WNBL.
Shayla is not even close to this level.
The team.... Tricks you're ignoring the facts of the last 15 years. Heal will be at this level in the future but she isn't ready.
Would rather go winless than accept violence and racist abuse from a teammate
Anon
Years ago
OHea and Mitchel Probably should have stepped aside for younger faster fitter bodies
Talbot has been carrying that injury she shouldn't have taken her
Absolutely no fire in their bellies and Ebzery is a terrible PG sets no play up at all
Who survives post Tokyo.
Just Allen, Talbot n Magbegor...
Everyone else..
Bol
Years ago
Man we are getting out hustled on the boards. Its only six points the difference gotta be more desperate
This stupid bloody commentator still thinks Talbot went off after clashing heads with that Chinese girl when in fact it was Ebzery.
What a tool!
Big Ads
Years ago
Did Wang get stitches after she bumped heads with Steph Talbot?
Bol
Years ago
Ffs who is that yelling?? Is that coming from Chinas bench?
Good on you Ezi
Don't even let the guards touch it
"Ffs who is that yelling??"
my money is on Shao Ting
Anyone who thinks Nicholson wouldn't help this team is an idiot, Heal at least can shoot the three. There defence on screen is woeful as is their offence.
Mat B
Years ago
>>"Ffs who is that yelling??"
my money is on Shao Ting<<
Hahahaha
Reply #863803 | Report this post
End of an era. Brondello, Mitchell, George, Ebzery, Lavey, Tolo, Madgen gone after this failure.
Why do they need to be told by the coach to foul? seriously!
Australia has no legit elite PG at the moment. No Timms or Harrower. We just don't have one. Maybe we need to rethink having so many imports in the WNBL. We clearly need to review the player development from the bottom all the way to the top.
Ebzery was the player everyone on hoops wanted to take over. Australia's clear best PG. Now the complaints are coming through.
Point is, we don't have someone to lead the team on court. For 8 years the team has been built around Cambage, rightly or wrongly, but she isn't there. 1-2 weeks before the tournament started. We're playing against China and Belgium who have built towards this one event for years.
We've had two weeks, and one of our focus replacements is sick/injured.
And yet this tournament is coming down to one shot difference.
Basketball is such a toxic community. This thread a prime example.
We gave up 9 seconds failing to recognise the need to foul. That's on every single player and member of the coaching staff.
"We gave up 9 seconds failing to recognise the need to foul. That's on every single player and member of the coaching staff."
But sack Sandy.
#816, this tournament isn't coming down to one shot difference. Qualification for the QFs might be decided by a point, but playing like this our tournament would be over when we got there.
I agree we as a community in general can be too negative, but there's legitimate criticism of the effort and execution for this group.
Ebzery can play the point, the coach has to set up the plays for the team to follow, it hasn't.
Jenna ohea, oh my.
Big Ads
Years ago
And China didn't foul! O'Hea you champion veteran!
KWhite_Rulz
Years ago
Should have had two people on Lee. Terrible coaching.
Didn't deserve to win anyway
Only showed intensity in the last 3 minutes. Where was that all game?
Nonsense, you dont know women's basketball at all.
Out of position ref just made the worst call ever. Never ever decide the game by a whistle.
Mat B
Years ago
>>Should have had two people on Lee.<<
Agree. Can't believe she caught it that deep.
Perthworld
Years ago
Soft call but it's kind of hard to feel too aggrieved due to our non-performance earlier in the game.
Opals competed and had heart, not enough to cover bad defence or offence, best side won, it's a shame. New coach and new rebuild.
A Aron
Years ago
Rewind and watch it back, actually can't beleive that baseline ref didn't call that foul, it was more obvious than at first thought.
Bol
Years ago
It was a great effort to come back after that horrendous third quarter but didn't deserve to win in the end anyway. Poor defense and stupid turnovers and china looked a step quicker most of the night.
The intensity in the last quarter came with Ezi was put back onto the court. She was forgotten about on the bench there for quite a long time.
Perthworld
Years ago
Yeah, they were definitely tangled up on the replay.
Mat B
Years ago
>>Out of position ref just made the worst call ever. <<
And it was a very late call with no clarity from their position on the court. One of the worst whistles I've seen.
Granted we were outplayed for much of the game, but that foul call was atrocious.
It's bringing back memories of the terrible call in the boomers bronze medal match against Spain at Rio.
Whinge about the refs, they weren't great. We were worse.
The Boomers are a delight to watch, with their problem solving, effort, finding people to step up. Their evolution over the last 9 years as the current core has matured is so obvious. I just don't know what to like about this Opals group.
That's not a foul at any other time of the game. All Olympic games have been physical. Late whistle, ref choked it.
Anon
Years ago
Agree with above comments that the WNBL should be focusing on developing our Australian players , PGs in particular, but it doesn't help when the head coach and her husband who watching this has far too much input live in the USA... BA needs their ass kicked fir that choice to begin with
Opals might need to beat Puerto Rico by 34 at least.
What happened to all the review of plays in the last 2 minutes. There was a baseline ball called of Katie, which likely off China fingers.
Then the last call if reviewed there would have been 1.5 secs put back on clock.
Bec Allen with the 2 free points to China with an unsportsmanlike foul comes back to bite big time.
Belgium beat PR by 35
China beat PR by 42
FIBA is a disgrace. When bad late whistles happen once you think it's bad luck, but twice v Spain and this game, on top of the terrible decisions following the Philippines V Aus brawl makes you think there is a clear agenda.
Doesn't hurt as much this time around because the Opals didn't deserve to win.
Watch the play and see who created the contact. No call, overtime.
#858, if Ezi is what's to like, yes I agree and I do think she's tremendous. I also know and like some of the WNBL players, they're great people. But as a group, this team is no fun. The Boomers have chemistry that's not just about winning but caring about each other. It shows in their shot selection, we don't get Goulding and Kay second-guessing themselves because one of the NBA guys is going to be mad that the former launched a contested 3 or the latter tried to play offence. That Opals game featured so many instances of players who just have no comfort level playing together, with forced passes and shots, and that heartbeat of indecision in which the defence catches up and a good shot evaporates. Like watching the San Antonio Spurs and then trying to enjoy a Sacramento Kings game.
Giacontigers
Years ago
Really hard game to watch. Was awful from both sides. So many turnovers and easy misses. Fiba tournaments always seem to disappoint.
Surprised the referees didn't replay the last call. Is it just me or don't they do replays in World tournaments.
All calls at the end need to be checked. Could be make or break for the Opals. Opals did deserve to lose though. Sloppy on the defensive end. They better learn from this game, because they’ll need to smack Puerto Rico.
Giacontigers
Years ago
Shows you when a team has distractions it messes up with the team chemistry. Steph's foot injuring didn’t help. Feel sorry for her.
Let’s hope the Opals don’t make it and learn from this. experience. Opals need a WNBL coach who’s based in Australia and develops on Australian players.
If the Opals make it to the quarterfinals that’s an extra bonus. 40pts they need to beat Puerto Rico by if they want to be realistic.
Ezi played 26 minutes, she is the best player and the fittest, and should be playing 35+ minutes.
Andrew Gaze averaged 39.1 minutes per game in 1996 and 35.5 minutes per game in Sydney.
Shane Heal averaged 36.9 mpg in 1996 and 34.8 mpg.
Hopefully Ezi plays nearly the whole game v Puerto Rico.
Seebohm is the only coach, who else could do it...
Is Seebohm too good for the job? (will he be in demand from higher paying jobs?) If not he is a no brainer for the opals job. Give it to him ASAP. Preferably before next Monday so we can at least beat Puerto Rico.
#873 what are the referees checking for on the last play?
We have plenty of PG's coming through, post is the issue.
Anon
Years ago
^ and there you have it, minutes played, what sort of Olympic level coach in a must win game plays her key players like that .
Brondello isn't coaching Olaf is , but both are useless
Why did she draft smith over Magbegor..
Doesn't even use smith
Isaac
Years ago
Miraculous that they got so close after so much poor play. Gave up layups at one end while telegraphing plays at the other end, or driving into serious disadvantage and getting smothered.
China seemed a lot more coordinated as a team.
A win by 40 pts lol should get us last spot in 1/4s
Giacontigers
Years ago
Coach needs to go. The team minutes make no sense. Play the high percentage players not Katie who was 2/11 in 31:51 minutes played?
Luuuc
Years ago
Katie was indeed 2/11 yet was still one of our better players. That's where we are at atm.
Not sure who needs a bigger cleanout right now - Opals or West Coast Eagles.
Canada fall to Spain 76-66.
Which means australia has to beat Puerto Rico by 25 pts to qualify for 1/4 finals.
25 pts is alot, hopefully usa destroy France byb20+
Perthworld
Years ago
The line is currently set at -36.5 so we are a 50% chance to win by either 36 or 37 points.
Extrapolating from this winning by 25 is 82.50%.
That means nothing, certainly can't use the last 2 games as indicators.
25 pts is doable but usa beating France by 20 gives us a much easier job to do.
Perthworld
Years ago
I know, on paper and in theory it isn't that much of an ask but in reality we really suck right now.
Luuuc
Years ago
Indeed.
PR would rightly go into the game thinking that knocking us off is not impossible. It's a free swing for them.
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