R5 Preview: Adelaide 36ers vs Brisbane Bullets

Monday, February 15, 2021

Daniel Johnson and Isaac Humphries dominated the interior in Adelaide's win on Saturday, can Nathan Sobey get some help and some vengeance in Monday's rematch in the City of Churches?

When: 7.30pm (AEDT), Monday 15 February

Where: Adelaide Entertainment Centre

Broadcast: ESPN; Sky Sports NZ; SBS On Demand; Twitch

The last time
Adelaide 85 (Humphries 24, Johnson 21, Crocker 11) d Brisbane 70 (Sobey 25), Round 5, Nissan Arena, Brisbane

This was a stinker for Brisbane, who shot 34 per cent from the field and were smashed in the paint by a team who shot just 4-of-15 from outside and are known for their paint-heavy game. Josh Giddey controlled proceedings and Isaac Humphries and Daniel Johnson capitalised on the Bullets’ inability to protect the rim, combining for 45 points at 57 per cent. Only Nathan Sobey provided a counter-punch with 25 points and a huge exclamation point.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">SOBES. LIFT OFF.<br><br>???<a href="https://twitter.com/sobes2zero?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sobes2zero</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ADLatBNE?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ADLatBNE</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL21?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL21</a> <a href="https://t.co/r0MEVHGQSb">pic.twitter.com/r0MEVHGQSb</a></p>— The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1360531499078963202?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The now
It has now surely come home to roost for Brisbane’s supporting cast that playoffs are an impossibility without a lift from them, after a down day from Vic Law on Saturday left Nathan Sobey as a lonely, albeit impressive, contributor. That begins with the ability to knock down open threes when the dynamic duo draws attention, because the excuse that good looks just didn’t go down won’t hold water for long with Bullets fans.

Saturday’s win brings the 36ers to 5-3 and third place on the NBL ladder, however Monday night is their eighth home game, making a win crucial to capitalise on their favourable early-season run. Connor Henry and Co have struggled to find answers to opposition adjustments in back-to-backs so far this season, and with Brisbane sure to alter their paint defence, the 36ers will likely need some new wrinkles to ensure Humphries the same supply.

The stats

- In the first leg of back-to-backs against the same opponent, Adelaide have averaged 50 points in the paint and 19.7 from the foul line. In the rematch those numbers have been 36.7 and 14, a 19-point decline

- In wins, Humphries is averaging 22ppg and 10rpg while attempting 15 field goals and 4.4 free throws. In defeat, those numbers shrink to 9.7ppg, 6.3rpg, 8.7 field goals and 2 free-throws

- This season, Sobey and Law are averaging 44.8 points at 48 per cent from the field, while the rest of the Bullets team is averaging 43 points at 41 per cent

- On Saturday, Brisbane’s supporting cast shot 4-of-22 from long range at 18 per cent. Over the season they are making just 26 per cent on 16 attempts per night

The key men

Josh Giddey – When the Sixers’ rookie sensation has more than 4 assists his team is 3-0 in the new season, compared to 2-2 on his less distributive nights. It’s no surprise opponents have targeted getting the ball out of his hands – Sydney and Melbourne with great success, but the Bullets appear to lack the backcourt defenders to make it happen.

Tanner Krebs and Jason Cadee both had a crack at it on Saturday, but they are no Mitch McCarron or Casper Ware, and the 18-year-old produced a composed performance to dish 8 dimes and record a game-high +21. Whether it’s a change in personnel getting up the floor, or a change in ball-screen defence, the Bullets need a new approach.

Vic Law – For the first time in his NBL career Law struggled on Saturday night, a 4-of-14 shooting night compounded by 3 turnovers and getting to the foul line just once. In the Bullets’ two wins their star import has averaged 28 points on 7.5 free-throw attempts, compared to 15.5 points and 2.3 charity shots in their four losses.

Against Adelaide, the Bullets got it all wrong with Law’s looks, going to him in the low post against bigger opponents and facing him up when guarded by a smaller four-man, limiting his ability to draw fouls. On the few occasions they executed the Sobey-Law high ball-screen points generally followed, so expect a steady diet of that on Monday.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">"Brings the HOUSE DOWN, Vic Law - Welcome to Australia!" ??<br><br>WATCH <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBL</a> action LIVE right now on:<br>? <a href="https://twitter.com/SBSVICELAND?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SBSVICELAND</a><br>? <a href="https://twitter.com/SBSOnDemand?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SBSOnDemand</a><br>? <a href="https://t.co/biDH3cuz8h">https://t.co/biDH3cuz8h</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL21?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL21</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SBSSport?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SBSSport</a> <a href="https://t.co/jvmqumToTR">pic.twitter.com/jvmqumToTR</a></p>— SBS Sport (@SBSSport) <a href="https://twitter.com/SBSSport/status/1350335015767314432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The quotes

It was an unusually inefficient and disjointed offensive night for an Andrej Lemanis-coached team on Saturday, but his 36ers counterpart doesn’t expect a repeat in Monday’s rematch.

“We know Drej will have them bouncing back,” Connor Henry said.

“Drej runs a lot of stuff offensively, he’s got an elite mind when it comes to offence that I respect immensely, so they’ll bounce back, they’ll throw some different stuff at us I'm sure.”

The reality is Brisbane through a lot of bricks at them in the 85-70 result, and as the game wore on those shots became less and less predictable as the Bullets tried to force their way back into the contest.

“I thought particularly early we had a lot of good looks that obviously we didn’t knock down, and over time that wears on you,” Lemanis said.

“We missed those shots and as the game started to turn and ebb and flow I thought the pressure built on us offensively and we started to get a little anxious and tight and people’s hearts were in the right place but it was (poor) decision making.

“Do you let the ball move, do you try and make a play yourself? I thought the ball stuck a little bit, and we played a little anxiously which can happen when you can’t put the ball in the basket.

“Again we've got to make sure we’re putting the work in, but 6-of-33 from the three point line at 18 per cent and 20-of-43 per cent from inside the arc, that’s going to make it tough, it’s going to put a lot of pressure on your defence.”

While Lemanis said he didn’t think “our defence was that bad”, the reality is Adelaide rely on their big men, yet were allowed to rack up 50 points in the paint at 55 per cent as they capitalised on Matt Hodgson’s absence.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Slow down Isaac, you're creating too many highlights.<br><br>(Please continue tho)<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ADLatBNE?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ADLatBNE</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL21?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL21</a> <a href="https://t.co/Cl3pBcZrCV">pic.twitter.com/Cl3pBcZrCV</a></p>— The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1360537585089613825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“They score 44 per cent of their points coming through their bigs, and a larger percentage tonight came through Johnson and Humphries,” Lemanis said.

“To miss Hodgy’s size, strength and experience against this team in particular, that was a tough hole for us to deal with.

“Hopefully he’ll be right, we’re definitely taking him to Adelaide and we have every intention to play him in Monday.”

Whether Hodgson plays or not, Brisbane must do a better job of making someone other than Johnson, Humphries and Giddey beat them.

“The three of them played well, playing catch with it, and Josh was able to get downhill with it a number of times in transition and find guys which really is his strength,” Henry said.

“Crock and Sunday also did a fantastic job spacing properly, letting the ball find them, playing through our bigs, it was a good effort.

“When we stick to what the system is – it gets a little scrappy and sometimes we bog down offensively – and when we get back to getting it through hands and screening, hitting hard, sharp cuts, knowing where we want to go with the basketball after we create an advantage.

“I thought we did a pretty good job during that period of finally wrestling control of the game to us and then staying with it.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="da" dir="ltr">? ....Dagger, Johnson?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ADLatBNE?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ADLatBNE</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL21?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL21</a> <a href="https://t.co/xYXyEydCrA">pic.twitter.com/xYXyEydCrA</a></p>— The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1360539684342951938?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>