Stat Chat - Round 20, NBL24 (What's hot and what's not)

Statistics ... whether you love them or hate them, stats play a huge part in sport.

Whether it's when recruiting a player, how teams prepare, how a starting five is set up, or just about any facet of the game, numbers are crunched and relied upon as fact. 

This year, 2018 NBL Champion and expert commentator Pete Hooley will once again be our resident stats man on NBL.com.au to provide a rundown of all the key numbers heading into a new round of games.  

Keep an eye out after every round for the latest edition of 'Stat Chat'. 

What’s Hot – 2
The 36ers had the opportunity to spoil the Breakers plans for a home final, and they did just that in an emphatic fashion. Everyone chipped in on the night but it was DJ Vasiljevic who showed the sold-out crowd that there’s exciting things to come in the next few years. Vasiljevic had his second career double-double in the win, dropping 25 points and ripping down 14 rebounds in an emotional victory.

What’s Not – 50
The 36ers controlled this game from very early on and deserved to win. However, as the last quarter loomed, things got a little shaky for Scott Ninnis’ men. The 36ers committed 50 per cent of their total turnovers in the last quarter, coughing it up seven times and nearly sparking a New Zealand comeback.

DJ Vasiljevic.

What’s Hot – 24
Josh Bannan is the future for the Brisbane Bullets. The rookie came out of the half-time break against New Zealand with a point to prove and dropped 24 of his 29 points in the second half. Bannan has been very good all season long and showcased in this game how he not only has a big career in the NBL ahead of him, but perhaps on an even bigger stage. His 10/11 from the field wasn’t enough as the rest of his team shot just 8/24 in the same half.

What’s Not – 55
It was a simple equation for the Bullets heading into the round, win and you’re in. The fight itself was a lot harder, traveling over to New Zealand to face another desperate team. The Bullets start was going to be crucial for their hopes of pulling off an upset and they gave up 55 points in the first half, whilst only managing to get 40 on the board themselves.

Josh Bannan.

What’s Hot – 3
A season sweep over the top of the table Melbourne United will be a positive to take away from a tough year for Cairns. The Taipans showed once again that when they’re locked in and aggressive on both ends, they can beat anyone in the competition. It was Pat Miller and Tahjere McCall who again ran rampant against United and put them to the sword for the third time in NBL24.

What’s Not – 8
In the final quarter when United made a run, Cairns struggled to get many good looks. In fact the Taipans had eight less field goal attempts in the last 10 minutes than United and hence were outscored by 14 as they tried to mount a comeback.

Tahjere McCall.

What’s Hot – 4
For the Hawks, the only number that matters is four, because this team that was anchored to the bottom of the ladder after a few weeks into the season have finished in the top four. It’s been an incredible turn of events and one of the best stories we have seen in the NBL for some time, and I have a feeling their journey isn’t over yet.

What’s Not – 38
It nearly cost them a top four spot, yet they hung on due to other results, but the loss to United would have sent a scare through the Hawks camp. Illawarra attempted 38 threes in this game amd made just 11, and it was the first time in a while that the team seemed to focus more on outside shooting than getting the ball to their big stars.

Tyler Harvey.

What’s Hot – 2
It was a game that didn’t mean anything in the grand scheme of things, but for Brad Newley, it meant everything. The retiring all-time great celebrated his birthday during Sunday's clash with the Hawks, and Vickerman threw him into the starting line-up and ran a play for him to get the first two points on the board. Newley has been one of the best Aussie basketballers we’ll see ever see, with his 20-year career all over the world and crucial showings for the Boomers in a handful of major tournaments.

What’s Not – 14
There have been a couple of games now that United have been beat up on the defensive glass at times, and whilst it didn’t cost them here, it certainly isn’t what Vickerman wants to see as finals loom. The Hawks are the best offensive rebounding team in the league and they showed that once again, ripping down 14 in the game.

Brad Newley.

What’s Hot – 3
The Breakers had to get the win on Friday at home against Brisbane to be sure they were playing post-season basketball and they got the job done. It got a little closer than they would have liked in the end, but three Izayah Le’Afa threes in the fourth quarter just put the dagger in the Bullets and New Zealand marched into the Finals.

What’s Not – 7
It’s hard to imagine that the injury curse for New Zealand could get any worse this season, yet in the final game of the regular season, it somehow did. Will McDowell-White who has had a very interrupted NBL24, was ruled out with a shoulder dislocation which couldn’t have come at a worse time for this team who has endured so much pain in the season.

Will McDowell-White.

What’s Hot – 14
The Wildcats didn’t have a lot to play for in the final round and after a couple of injury scares, they made it through to the finals with a top two spot secured. With more rotations being made, the potential number one pick got more opportunity and took it with both hands. Alexandre Sarr averaged 14 points and over six rebounds in the two games on the weekend and showed signs of why he should be shaking Adam Silver’s hand first on draft night.

What’s Not – 72
The game didn’t mean anything, so it is hard to read too much into it, but with Bryce Cotton being rested due to a knee injury it was a chance for Perth to find some offence outside of the MVP. Unfortunately, the Wildcats were clamped down by Tasmania and only managed to put up 72 points, with 24 of those coming in the final term.

Alexandre Sarr.

What’s Hot – 17
There wasn’t many positives to come away from their clash with Sydney for the Phoenix, but if they had to find something, it was probably their effort on the offensive glass. The undermanned squad managed to rip down 17 offensive rebounds in the game, which is a big effort when you consider they lost the total rebound count by 18.

What’s Not – 67
It’s déjà vu for the Phoenix with this number. In back-to-back weeks they have only scored 67 points now, which is simply just no where near enough to win a game in this league. It’s been a horrific run of luck this season and hopefully there are some positives out of the offseason and future.

Reuben Te Rangi.

What’s Hot – 6
The Kings knew the task at hand and they responded tremendously with their record setting win over the Phoenix. They can only play the team that is in front of them and even though it looked like a practice drill at times, this might be the start of something for Sydney. In the 122 points they scored, they had six in double figures and shot a blistering 60 per cent from the field.

What’s Not – 6                                                              
Hard to find any negatives in this game due to the sheer domination that occurred, but if you had to be picky, for a team that only turned it over 11 times, they got a little loose with it in the second quarter. The six turnovers in the second prompted some quick timeouts for Sydney and a gentle reminder to stay locked in and ignore the score.

Jaylen Adams.

What’s Hot – 5
The way that Will Magnay is playing, he might just be the difference-maker for Tasmania in the post-season. Magnay was terrific once again but especially defensively as he recorded five blocks and altered countless more shots. When he is controlling the paint, this Tasmania team looks mighty tough to beat, and to think that someone is going to have to beat them multiple times in a series… that will be interesting to watch.

What’s Not – 17
There were too many turnovers for a Tasmania in a dead rubber game against Perth. The positive was that they are the form team heading into the finals but they have had their issues with ball security a few times in NBL24 and wouldn’t want that to continue. 

Will Magnay.