Australia’s NBA stars are ready for the playoffs

With San Antonio, Utah and Milwaukee all locking in NBA playoff berths this week, we take a look at the Aussies in their respective lockers rooms.

 

SAN ANTONIO SPURS

Patty Mills has been sensational off the bench for Gregg Popovich’s experienced squad, shooting 41 per cent from behind the three point line while averaging 10 points and 22 minutes per game.

 

The Spurs will face the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs, with the Spurs locking up the Western Conference’s second seed and the Grizzlies cementing the seventh seed on Friday.

 

UTAH JAZZ

Dante Exum and Joe Ingles and the Jazz were sitting pretty in the West’s coveted fourth playoff spot until Saturday when they were shredded 101-86 by the Portland Trail Blazers.

 

Adding to the Jazz’s woes, the Clippers beat the Spurs to take the fourth spot.

 

The Clippers and Jazz both have 49 win, 31 loss regular season records, but the Clippers hold the tiebreaker advantage.

 

They are well ahead of sixth-placed Oklahoma City so destined to meet in the first round of the playoffs, with the only question what team will secure the fourth seed and gain home court advantage.

 

The Jazz face the Warriors and Spurs in the final two regular season games, but that might not be so daunting as Warriors coach Steve Kerr and the Spurs’ Popovich, with playoff spots cemented, likely to rest their stars.

 

The Clippers finish against the Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings.

 

The final two games of the regular season and the playoffs could be career-defining for Exum, with the Jazz desperate for the Melbourne-born 21-year-old to step up.

 

Exum is just one of two healthy point guards on the Jazz and will go head-to-head with one of NBA’s greats at the position, the Clippers’ Chris Paul who has schooled the Australian in the past.

 

Ingles has had the best NBA season of his career, averaging 24 minutes a game, seven points and connecting on 44 per cent of his three-pointers.

 

 

MILWAUKEE BUCKS

The Bucks ended a worrying three-game losing streak and clinched a playoff berth on Saturday by taking advantage of the injury-devastated Philadelphia 76ers 90-82.

 

Their 41 win, 39 loss record places them in sixth position, just behind the Atlanta Hawks (41-38) and one ahead of the Indiana Pacers (40-40).

 

If the standings hold for the rest of the regular season the Bucks will play the Toronto Raptors in the first round, but if they jump ahead of the Hawks they will face the Washington Wizards.

 

Matt Dellavedova will bring his Cavaliers’ playoff experience to a team of young guns, headed by forward-guard Giannis Antetokounmpo and fellow Aussie and one of the NBA’s best rookies, Thon Maker.

 

VACATION PLANNING

Australia’s Ben Simmons, the NBA Draft’s No.1 pick, was supposed to lead the beleaguered Philadelphia 76ers’ revival, but less than a month before the 2016-17 season began he fractured his foot and gave former NBL coach Brett Brown another horror season.

 

The 76ers have the fourth-worst record in the NBA with 28 wins and 52 losses.

 

Queensland big man Aron Baynes and his Detroit Pistons also entered the season with high expectations, but they have spluttered to a 36-43 record and have been eliminated from the playoffs.

Share:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Which NBL Teams Spent the Most?

    Over the past three NBL seasons, clubs have spent almost $97 million assembling their rosters, but how much of that money has translated into wins, and which teams have delivered the best value for money? These figures represent cash spend, not salary cap spend. Cash spending includes player salaries and additional costs such as agent fees, bonuses, import related expenses and luxury tax, rather than simply the amounts counted against the league's salary cap. How much have NBL teams spent over the past three seasons?…

    READ MORE
  • ARE THE HAWKS “TIRED” OF TATUM’S VOICE?

    Larry Bird believed players began tuning out coaches after three years. Pat Riley reportedly put the limit at five, while Steve Kerr admitted his Golden State players were tired of hearing him in his fourth season. Now Justin Tatum is in his fourth season with Illawarra, and the Hawks have gone from NBL champions to the bottom of the ladder. Could they be experiencing the same problem? Justin Tatum transformed Illawarra from one of the NBL's worst teams into champions. But ahead of today's clash…

    READ MORE
  • COULD BRIAN GOORJIAN HAVE SAVED THE MELBOURNE TIGERS?

    In 2002, the Melbourne Tigers were fighting for survival when they identified an opportunity to attract supporters from their biggest rivals. Their plan to honour Brian Goorjian was blocked by the Victoria Giants, potentially changing the course of Melbourne basketball history. In 2002, the Melbourne Tigers devised a plan that could have changed the future of their club. The Tigers were emerging from financial administration, crowds were falling and the club had been forced to abandon its home at Vodafone Arena, now known as John…

    READ MORE
  • GOLD COAST NBL EXPANSION SET TO BECOME A REALITY?

    A new funding proposal, a crucial November meeting and renewed interest from the NBL could finally provide a pathway for professional basketball to return to the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast's long-running push to return to the NBL has reached another critical stage, with Mayor Tom Tate preparing to meet Queensland Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie in November to discuss the future of the proposed $1 billion Gold Coast Arena. After years of negotiations, changing timelines and funding setbacks, the city's hopes of securing an NBL…

    READ MORE
  • Paul Rees on NBL titles, battles with Brian Goorjian and small town success

    Four-time NBL champion and 1994 Grand Final MVP Paul Rees joins the podcast to reflect on his journey from small-town basketball to a 17-season NBL career with the Brisbane Bullets, North Melbourne Giants and Adelaide 36ers. Visit dunk.com.au for your next set of basketball uniforms. Host Dan Boyce chats with Rees about winning championships with North Melbourne and Adelaide, playing under Brett Brown and Phil Smyth, representing Australia at the 1994 World Championship, and battling Brian Goorjian and some of the NBL’s best teams throughout…

    READ MORE
  • MELBOURNE UNITED NEEDS TO DECIDE: Are they the Tigers or not?

    Jensen Bradtke wearing his father Mark’s famous No. 50 should be one of the great stories of NBL27. Instead, it has again exposed a question Melbourne United has never properly answered: when does Melbourne Tigers history belong to United, and when doesn’t it? Seeing BRADTKE and No. 50 together on a Melbourne basketball jersey again should be nothing other than a celebration. Jensen Bradtke is beginning his first season with Melbourne United, wearing the same number his father Mark wore through one of the great…

    READ MORE
  • The Next Step: Breakout player candidates for NBL27

    Every NBL pre-season, there is plenty of attention on players around the league who could take the next step in their professional basketball journey. A breakout can happen in different ways. For some players, it’s getting more opportunity. For an established player, it can mean building on what they have already achieved and elevating their game to another level. For others, it may simply take a new home where their skills can be maximised. Below are four players who I think are ready to break…

    READ MORE
  • Mario Donaldson on THAT 1994 NBL Dunk Contest and his time playing with Sydney & Canberra

    Former Sydney Kings and Canberra Cannons import Mario Donaldson joins the podcast to revisit his time in the NBL, including competing in the famous 1994 NBL Dunk Contest, the highs and lows of his seasons in Sydney and Canberra, and the success he found playing around the world. Host Dan Boyce chats with Donaldson about arriving in Sydney in 1994 and playing alongside Leon Trimmingham, helping the Kings return to the playoffs and establishing himself as one of the league’s best outside shooters. Visit dunk.com.au…

    READ MORE