THROWDOWN I is in the bag, and South East Melbourne Phoenix begin their existence in the league sensationally, making it one from one. They have caused a massive upset, defeating the arch-rivals Melbourne United (88-91) by three points in a thriller to kick off what promises to be the biggest NBL season yet in 2019/20.

In what was an incredible way to begin the new season, we had the pleasure of watching some of the great talents the country has to offer. In particular, Mitch Creek in his first official return to the NBL after NBA and World Cup duties, put on a masterclass with 28 points, 11 rebounds and four assists in a best-on-court performance. He would certainly be in the conversation for the MVP at season’s end.

The inaugural match of this Melbourne derby was the most critical, United were hot favourites for not only this game but also the 2019/20 championship. But with the Phoenix causing an upset, it sets the foundation for what will hopefully soon be the premium rivalry of the competition.

Make no mistake… this game was a massive occasion, particularly for the Phoenix. They needed to make a statement in front of a huge crowd of 10,300 spectators at Melbourne Arena. But they were up to the task, the likes of Creek, John Roberson (20pts) and Kyle Adnam (11) contributing to the first win in their history. The Phoenix would lose no followers if it dropped their first game on the big stage to the intimidating Melbourne United, but the win sets the foundation for their inaugural season. Subconsciously, Simon Mitchell’s men have made a clear statement; We are here to win.

The Phoenix were on top in all the major stats, 40% Field Goals to 37%, 52% to 28% on three pointers and 84% to 81% on free throws. This was done for the most part without Tai Wesley, who went down with a hamstring injury that will see him miss ‘multiple weeks’. They are now one up in Throwdown victories, and will be keen to extend the ledger when the two play again on 2 November.

This league needed fresh rivalries. Dating back to the 1980s and 1990s, the match-ups of Adelaide v Perth, Adelaide v Brisbane and Sydney v Perth were exciting to watch, they were amazing to watch and be a part of. In the past, five to ten years, however, while still enjoyable to watch, haven’t truly been as heated as they were in the glory days.

With the NBL taking serious strides in the past couple of seasons though, the rivalries are expected to raise back to the level, and even surpass them. Having South East Melbourne back in the competition, although under a new franchise, will enhance the rivalries across the league more than one could imagine.

All good leagues need good rivalries, take the AFL for example… what would it be without its Carlton v Collingwood games, or Adelaide v Port Adelaide? The A-League… Adelaide v Melbourne Victory, Sydney v Western Sydney? The NBL now has rejuvenated their rivalries and it just adds to the excitement of what the rest of this season will deliver!

The first weekend of NBL 2019/20 was a huge success, if we see more games over the next few months as we saw over the past four days… the NBL will be a top three league in this country sooner than ever us major hoops tragic expected!