Thoughts on the NBL...Volume 2

We are well and truly into the NBL season now, below are a few observations, thoughts and standings

The Saints have separated themselves from the pack

You usually always expect the Saints to be there or there about's every year and this one is no exception!! They are sitting pretty at the top with a 6-0 record, including four road wins. Imports Kareem Johnson and Torrey Craig have fit in perfectly, local guys have been playing their roles to perfection and Lindsay Tait is in MVP form. The only thing the Saints will be sweating over is the health of Leon Henry. He has posted a video and picture of the aftermath on twitter...Hopefully it won't require surgery or a long time on the sidelines because he was in excellent form and would be will be tough to replace if he can't play. But the Saints are looking like championship favourites at this very early stage.

Mika Vukona is off to Italy

The Giants are also off to a perfect start with an unblemished 4-0 record. But they have just lost Vukona to a short term deal in Italy with Virtus Roma (that link isn't going to help you much unless you speak Italian haha)...we all know what makes Mika a special player, what he brings to a team goes well beyond what any stat sheet will ever tell you and really can't be replaced, but his absence will provide opportunities for players like Sam Dempster, Finn Delany and Bronson Beri to get more playing time and responsibility! Nelson are still a very good team but it definitely hurts losing him, hopefully depending on how long his trip in Italy lasts he might be able to rejoin the team towards playoff time and help them make a run at a championship.

40 point games for everyone!

Ok that may be slight exaggeration. But you don't see many 40 point games in the NBL, let alone two on the same night!

First up the Supercity Rangers Jason Cadee had 41 points on 15-21 fg 9-13 3pt and 2-3 ft along with 3 assists and 2 steals in a 117-94 win over the Manawatu Jets.

Not to be outdone, Torrey Craig of the Wellington Saints matched Cadee's 41 points (16-22 fg, 3-6 3pt and 6-9 ft) and just for good measure also added 11 boards, four steals and four blocks in a 108-97 W over the Taranaki Mountaineers.

Two very impressive and efficient performances.

Standings after 3 rounds
          
                                                   P   W  L

1. Wellington Saints             6    6   0
2. Nelson Giants                   4   4   0
3. Canterbury Rams             4    3   1
4. Supercity Rangers            4    2   2
5. Hawkes Bay Hawks         3    1   2
6. Southland Sharks             4    1   3
7. Taranaki Mtn Airs            4    0   4
8. Manawatu Jets                  5   0   5

AP