The final day of the NBL’s pre-season Blitz gave a tantalising look at the future of Australian basketball with a teenage brute and a soaring 20-year-old continuing to show they’re the real deal.
And the Melbourne clubs scooped the pool with Tyler Cook — the Phoenix’s stand-in for injured big man Alan Williams — named tournament MVP, while United claimed the Loggins-Bruton Cup, winning 7.5 of 12 quarters on their way to a perfect 3-0 record on the Gold Coast.
As Illawarra smacked a depleted Cairns outfit 108-90, 19-year-old rookie Lachlan Olbrich showed why he’d become the talk of the Goldie as the 208cm monster made all eight of his shots on his way to a stat-stuffing 18 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals.
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It followed a 20-point performance against Brisbane on and he leaves the Blitz averaging 14.6 points at an insanely efficient 19-22 shooting — 87 per cent.
Following Olbrich’s eye-catching effort, Sydney’s Jaylin Galloway again looked like he just might be the quickest, most athletic player in a league that is now stacked with players who possess exceptional physical gifts. His nine first-half points in 12 minutes to go with 4 rebounds, 2 blocks and a steal didn’t explode off the stat sheet, but didn’t fully tell the tail of how he moved on the floor.
Sydney’s import star Jaylen Adams suffered a blood nose before tip-off and was unable to take the floor until after halftime, but he couldn’t save the Kings, who finished the Blitz with an 0-3 record, conceding 35 points in the last quarter in a 105-76 hammering at the hands of Brisbane.
Unheralded backup wing Sam McDaniel produced one out of the box with 21 points in 22 minutes on a ridiculous 9-11 shooting, while Tyrell Harrison underlined Brisbane’s big man riches, stepping up with 18 points, 8 rebounds and a couple of blocks.
Nate Sobey was as aggressive as he’s been all pre-seasons, getting up 15 shots for 17 points, 6 rebounds and four assists as Justin Schueller’s team continued to show improvement.
South East Melbourne’s Cook, in Australia while Williams recovers from knee surgery, impressed from the moment he stepped on the floor, quickly becoming the Phoenix focal point at the Blitz, putting up 21 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2 blocks and a steal across three games.
SEM’s state rivals United looked in mid-season form, holding off a determined Brisbane, before smacking NSW rivals Illawarra, then Sydney.
Neck and neck as NBL24 title favourites, United and Sydney’s fortunes could not have been more polar, the Kings beaten in all three of their Blitz games.
United coach Dean Vickerman flew home a satisfied man, having watched his squad quickly find chemistry as it won 7.5 of 12 quarters on its way to a perfect 3-0 record on the Gold Coast.
“We saw in those three games that there’s really good buy in to the ball pressure and sharing the basketball, the things that are really important to us, and we’ve got a group that’s sold on it, right now,” Vickerman said.
The attention, though, has already shifted to Thursday night’s season-opening Throwdown against the Phoenix at John Cain Arena.
“We spoke about it and we celebrated what we achieved in those three games and we got better and we connected better but, as soon as we got off the plane, it was ‘let’s get ready for South East Melbourne’,” Vickerman said.
GRAND FINAL COME EARLY IN UNITED-KINGS BLOCKBUSTER
It might have been a meaningless pre-season game but, if the first half of the NBL Blitz clash between Melbourne United and Sydney Kings was a preview of the NBL24 grand final, let’s kick off the postseason early.
The bitter rivals and NBL heavyweights, on Wednesday night, went toe-to-toe for the first 20-minutes, producing a long reel of highlight plays at both ends of the floor, walking into the long break with 115 points on the board between them — separated by a solitary free throw, 58-57.
It kind of fizzled out after that as United poured in 36 points in a blistering third quarter barrage on the way to a 105-87 win.
As the Kings shook off some more cobwebs and United finished their Blitz campaign undefeated 3-0, everywhere you looked, there were great storylines.
None bigger — literally and figuratively — than giant Next Star Ariel Hukporti.
A year removed from a ruptured Achilles, Hukporti produced his best performance since returning to the court from the injury, changing the game on both ends of the floor.
The German dunked it with ferocity and finished with a soft touch on his way to 19 points and eight rebounds. His 213cm frame made the paint a no-go zone for the Kings — the statskeepers credited him with one blocked shot but, if they kept ‘changed shots’ he might have had a double-double.
Three days after going scoreless in 27 minutes and missing all eight of his shots, veteran Boomer Chris Goulding looked a completely different player, splashing six treys on his way to 20 points in a performance that will have him cherry ripe for the United’s season-opening Throwdown in just over a week’s time.
Kings’ Next Star Alex Toohey showed why he’s among the highest-rated young talents in Australian basketball with a second straight eye-catching performance — a team-high 19 points off the bench on an efficient 6-12 shooting. Toohey plays tall, small and everywhere in between, hits from the outside, can get to the basket, rebounds, defends, has a handle and possesses a temperament that exudes leadership — all as a professional rookie at the tender age of 19.
Not to be outdone, United slightly more-seasoned 22-year-old forward Luke Travers continued on his path to the NBA with a game-high 21 points, adding seven rebounds, four assists and four rebounds. The Cleveland Cavaliers NBA draft pick is becoming the all-round player Toohey will look to emulate and his decision-making looks to have caught up with the raw talent.
A big tick in front of the well-publicised gang of NBA scouts and executives on the Gold Coast.
Speaking of scouts, they’ve been raving about athletic freak Jaylin Galloway and the 20-year-old produced again with nine points, six rebounds and three assists. He looks to have won the race for a starting role on the wing, the one spot the Kings had to make a big decision on.
Former Kings league MVP Jaylen Adams made his anticipated return and was immediately involved — his first touch a sweet spin move and freakish no-look pass. He had seven points and five dimes in a brief 16-minute stint after missing the Kings’ Blitz opener with illness.
Welcome back, Jaylen, we’ve missed you.
Any fears former NBAer Jonah Bolden might have lost his touch in his three-year absence from the game are being quickly allayed — he scored 16 points with four three-pointers and added six rebounds in a performance that will delight Kings fans and worry the rest of the league. It’s looking increasingly likely he comes off the bench to start with, given the Kings have a bona fide gun in Jordi Hunter manning the five spot, but that could quickly change and that pair will form a relentless one-two big man punch.
Sydney will be even stronger when import DJ Hogg returns from a shoulder injury, but he is racing the clock to be fit for next Saturday’s season-opener against Illawarra with a shoulder injury.
United now turns its attention to its first regular season game against cross-town rival South East Melbourne in front of a sold out John Cain Arena crowd on the Thursday before the AFL grand final.
EX-BOOMER PRIMED TO DOMINATE, FUTURE NBA STAR SHINES
Former Boomers big man Aron Baynes produced a monstrous double-double in a sign he’s primed to dominate NBL24 as Illawarra rookie Lachlan Olbrich gave Aussie hoops fans a glimpse into the future.
Baynes’ incredible 20-point, 20-rebound, 2 block tour de force was easily his best showing in a Brisbane Bullets jersey and was a sign the 36-year-old was back to full fitness after the debilitating back injuries he suffered during the Boomers’ Tokyo Olympic campaign.
As Baynes went to work, so too, did opposing big man — and Octagon stablemate — Olbrich, who had 20 points of his own on 8-10 shooting in just 20 minutes of action, his Hawks outlasting the Bullets 95-88.
A big boy with big ambitions, 208cm Olbrich, 19, has been touted as an early NBL Next Gen Award candidate and a future Boomer.
The SA-born beast was the subject of a bidding war between Adelaide and Illawarra in pre-season and his agent Daniel Moldovan believes it’s not a case of if, but when the UC Riverside product lands in the NBA.
Baynes, by his own lofty standards, took time to adjust during his maiden season with the Bullets, averaging 11.7 points and 7.8 rebounds in 24 games as Brisbane battled to finish in eighth position.
Baynes displayed inspiring resolve and commitment to recover from his Tokyo injuries and return to the court with the Bullets.
The big man is now benefiting from another pre-season, looking fitter and is running the floor with ease.
He even got going from deep, knocking down a pair of trademark threes, that had the commentators declaring: “The Aron Baynes of old is back”.
Former NBL MVP and Bullets legend Derek Rucker is expecting Baynes to take his game to another level.
“He looks a lot more settled – he looks like a different person this season,” Rucker said on the NBL Blitz commentary on Kayo Freebies.
“Getting used to the NBL – it takes a minute – I don’t care what level you’ve played at.”
JUSTIN ROBINSON
In a case of club sticking by injured player and player returning the favour sticking by club, the American import played his first meaningful minutes in a Hawks jersey since the beginning of last season when he tore the meniscus in his right knee on debut.
The faith between club and player looks like it could be rewarded, with Robinson looking composed and efficient in scoring 12 first-half points in 13 minutes before he was shut down.
He got to the free throw line at will, where he was a perfect 7-7 and, if this is his floor, the 25-year-old former NBA point guard is going to be a problem in NBL24.
AJ JOHNSON
It’s been an inauspicious start for the teen Next Star but a broken nose in practice hampered his pre-season. The 18-year-old has a slight frame but the Hawks have so far handled his situation well — they have an elite point guard in front of him and have tempered expectations, which is just as well, because he has 2 points on 1-8 shooting through two Blitz games, with four turnovers
GARY CLARK
Speaking of inauspicious starts, the former Orlando Magic big man came to the NBL with big raps, but the 28-year-old’s yet to find his feet — he was 2-9 from the field against Melbourne United earlier in the week and went 2-10 against Brisbane.
The consensus is the former Orlando Magic forward will improve as the season develops, but, right now, looks a long way from the MVP prospect some had him touted as.
YOUNG GUN DESTINED FOR NBA STEALS SHOW AGAIN
Tyler Cook might be here for a short time, but he’s clearly here for a good time as the South East Melbourne star strengthened his claim on the unofficial NBL Blitz MVP award, but it was late heroics from Cairns Next Star Bobi Klintman that stole the show on the Gold Coast.
Down four with 2.33 left, the Taipans rallied, scoring six straight points, Klintman coming up big with a pair of late buckets that first gave them the lead, then put them in front for good with 36 seconds left in a 100-95 win.
Cook, who only arrived in Australia last week as a temporary injury replacement for star Phoenix big man Alan Williams, added another 16 points and six rebounds to finish with Blitz averages of 21 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2 blocks and 1 steal.
The athletic 203cm big man’s arrival looks another recruiting masterstroke from Phoenix boss Tommy Greer, who had the former Chicago Bull on a plane bound for Melbourne just days after Williams’ injury.
Any hopes another club had of securing 25-year-old once Williams returns for the Phoenix appear futile — Code Sports understands he’s being shopped to big money EuroLeague teams, with his work in the NBL sure to attract attention.
Klintman looks destined to one day excel in the NBA after producing another classy performance, putting his stamp on proceedings with 18 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals.
The Swedish sensation is aiming to be a lottery pick in next year’s NBA draft and will be right alongside Perth’s Alex Sarr in the best Next Star conversation all year.
The draft board battle between the pair will be must-watch and will draw global attention to the NBL all season.
Former NBL MVP Derek Rucker praised the 20-year-old’s offensive ability and aggression that belied his tender years.
“He has made a good name for himself and I really like what he has brought to the table,” Rucker said during the commentary on Kayo Freebies.
Power-packed Taipans import guard Patrick Miller paced all scorers with 21 points, while his opposite number Gary Browne led the Phoenix with 19.
Young Cairns floor general Taran Armstrong caught the eye again, the rookie a perfect 4-4 from the field on his way to 10 points to go with five assists.
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