Preview: Tasmania vs Melbourne - Round 16, NBL24

Thursday, January 18, 2024

Can Tasmania reward head coach Scott Roth's new contract with a win over Melbourne?

Friday, January 19 at 7:30pm AEDT | MyState Bank Arena

Watch: Live on ESPN via Kayo | International viewership details
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Scott Roth has signed a contract extension with the JackJumpers until the end of the 2026/27 season. The former NBL Coach of the Year has won a total of 48 of the 88 games in which he has taken charge of Tasmania.

Liam Santamaria has given Milton Doyle “a huge pass” for his recent dip in form after a challenging time personally, and said he tips his hat to the star import any time he performs like he did in the second half against Illawarra.

Tasmania has lost six of its last eight games, however those defeats have come by an average of just over four points.

Shea Ili (concussion) and Jo Lual-Acuil Jr (personal) will remain sidelined for Round 16, following their absences last round.

Dean Vickerman said a key focal point of Melbourne’s offence is attempting to give Chris Goulding more quality shots from behind the three-point line.

Tasmania
107-108 loss to Illawarra
77-80 loss to Brisbane
103-86 win over Cairns

Melbourne
82-81 win over New Zealand
96-100 loss to Adelaide
101-85 win over Sydney

Scott Roth
Yes, Scott Roth has not been a professional basketball player in 30 years, but it’s not every day an NBL coach not only signs a contract extension, but an extension when they aren’t even in a contract year.

There are few people who seem to be as brilliantly entrenched in the fabric of a basketball club like Scott Roth is to the Tasmania JackJumpers, and impressive on-court achievement aside for the past almost three seasons, he is the heart and soul of that organisation.

That being said, the JackJumpers have been struggling in recent weeks, and their patented ability to grind out close games has been all but absent this season. Their 11 losses have all come by eight points or less, and Tasmania has found itself losing from winning positions in a good percentage of them.

Had this been a contract year for Roth, an extension would have felt like a no-brainer. Despite their inability to close out games this season, they still sit third on the ladder heading into Round 16.

Here’s hoping the extra security and positive vibes this extension will undoubtedly bring will help Tasmania turn its current run of form around.

“We’re pleased to announce Scott’s commitment to the club for the next three seasons and to continue to build sustained success for the club both on and off the court. Scott’s new contract gives us stability as the club grows beyond its infancy and supports the very positive discussions around new ownership.,” JackJumpers CEO Christine Finnegan.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Locked in until the 2026/27 season ?<br>The Tasmania JackJumpers are pleased to announce Head Coach Scott Roth will finish his professional coaching career in Tasmania having inked a contract extension to remain in the role until the NBL27 season.<br>READ MORE <a href="https://t.co/XlXCfAkkKV">https://t.co/XlXCfAkkKV</a> <a href="https://t.co/tAPJOnnUvJ">pic.twitter.com/tAPJOnnUvJ</a></p>— Tasmania JackJumpers ? (@JackJumpers) <a href="https://twitter.com/JackJumpers/status/1747817155742314572?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Matthew Dellavedova
After a stuttering start to the season largely caused by injury, Matthew Dellavedova looks to have settled back into life at Melbourne United perfectly as the NBL24 Finals continue to rapidly approach.

Key absences early in the season meant the star Boomers guard took on a brunt of the scoring load, and consistent, and while injury-enforced changes to the guard rotation had prevented him from finding his niche within United’s offence, ‘Delly’ has been rolling in Melbourne’s recent run.

He inspired the team to a nail-biting one-point win against New Zealand with a 14-point, 10 assist double-double in Round 15, and finished United’s Round 15 double-header with a total of 18 assists.

To say Dellavedova was playing poorly though the middle third of the season would be an overstatement so dramatic it borders on blatantly untruthful, but such are the resume and reputation of the 500-game NBA veteran and Olympic bronze medalist that anything less than near-perfection will be assessed harshly.

He’s been back to his inspirational and versatile best in recent weeks – and that should be a joy for fans around the league, unless your team is playing Melbourne that is.

“The basketball IQ is off the charts, and I thought the other night in a challenged defence New Zealand gave us, where they (United) put Cheatham on him and they were happy to switch, Delly just continued to have these big guys on him and just to be able to work it out as the game went along ... he’s probably going to end up leading the league in assists which is something we really want from him.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Delly with the jelly! ?<br><br>Matthew Dellavedova connects on the acrobat scoop finish and Melbourne have retaken the lead! <br><br>Watch the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL</a> live on ESPN! ? <a href="https://t.co/s3ko2llSO4">pic.twitter.com/s3ko2llSO4</a></p>— ESPN Australia & NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNAusNZ/status/1742846329536028882?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Milton Doyle vs Chris Goulding
After establishing themselves as early-season MVP candidates, both Milton Doyle and Chris Goulding’s form has fallen by the wayside in recent weeks – but both players have not only had justifiable reasons as to why, they still maintain the ability to turn a game on its head in the space of a few possessions.

Doyle went uncharacteristically scoreless in the first half of Tasmania’s dramatic double-overtime defeat to Illawarra in Round 15, but he exploded for 18 points in the second half to not only pull his side back into the contest, but almost lead them to what, at one stage, would have been an unlikely victory.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Milton Doyle is CLUTCH ?<br><br>Catch the action live on ESPN via Kayo ? <a href="https://t.co/m7ZpjIT9OJ">pic.twitter.com/m7ZpjIT9OJ</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1745760808770908394?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Dean Vickerman has explained his desire to give Goulding more looks from three now United has the bulk of their offensive weapons back fit, firing and in the arsenal.

The NBL veteran was in the MVP discussion when he was attempting over 12 three-pointers a game, and while that number dropped since the likes of Ian Clark, Matthew Dellavedova and Luke Travers returned from injury, it’s slowly on the climb again.

Two score-first guards who love the big moment going head-to-head? Let’s hope this game stays tight right until the final moments, so we have a chance to see which of the superstar pair can step up.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Chris Goulding fooled him with the fake ?<br><br>Catch the action live on ESPN via Kayo | Sky Sport in NZ ? <a href="https://t.co/jl39LCF2VC">pic.twitter.com/jl39LCF2VC</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1745714633413959800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Tasmania is the only team with a winning record against Melbourne across the last three seasons. The JackJumpers have won seven of the 11 games the teams have contested since the start of NBL22.

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Jack McVeigh.