The Pressure Gauge: Round 12

With Round 12 approaching we're still seeing plenty of movement up and down the ladder. We're close to halfway through NBL23 and such is the evenness of the competition that it's still just about anyone's game.

Are the Phoenix true contenders? Will Adelaide start a run up the table? Can the Kings be toppled? Who should be feeling the heat right now?

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Pressure - Extreme

The 36ers faced their biggest test so far this season in Round 10 and came up disappointingly short. There is no doubt that they have turned a corner since the FIBA break, but unfortunately they just haven’t managed to put it together on the defensive end, and it’s costing them. Adelaide are giving up 90.7ppg which ranks second in the league behind the Illawarra Hawks. Recent NBL history has shown us that it really doesn’t matter how good you are offensively, if you can’t put together strong defensive performances each night you’re going to struggle to be successful. In their two round 10 losses, they gave up an average of 100 points. The pressure has been high on Adelaide since the preseason, but thankfully all they have to worry about is chasing top six. If they can put it all together by February and sneak into the top 6, they’ll be very dangerous.

Pressure - High

After everything that has transpired in Brisbane this season, in my opinion it’s unfair to put too much more pressure on a playing group to have to perform at their best considering everything around them. Having said that, there has been numerous moments across the course of the season that the effort and attitude of the playing group hasn’t been great, so they can’t avoid all responsibility. Whilst they lost to Cairns on Wednesday night, it looked like a playing group who had found a new source of energy and focus. Their offence looked more structured and unfortunately couldn’t make shots when it mattered and made some crucial errors at the wrong time, but against Adelaide they were easily second best on both ends of the floor. This part of the season for Brisbane feels like one where the players need to band together and try to completely switch off from the drama around them. That could be a right move.

Pressure - High

As mentioned in a previous edition of the pressure watch, what began as kind of a free hit season for Cairns, all of a sudden has turned into what could be. The Taipans have shown signs of just how good they can be, and that style of play is one that can beat any team in the league on any given night. Whilst their record may not be the strongest over the course of the last few weeks, every other team is aware of the dangers of playing Cairns when they catch fire. The biggest concern with the Snakes is how they claw out wins when their in a drought offensively. They managed to grind out a win against Tasmania, but could they do that against a New Zealand outfit? Time will tell. One thing is for certain, whether they are shooting well or not this Cairns team plays with extreme confidence.

Pressure - Medium

After a 1-9 start to the season, Illawarra essentially turned their sights on playing for pride and for the fans. They should hold their head high with how they have played in recent weeks, considering where they came from. If you forget that horrible second half against the Phoenix, the Hawks have actually looked like a completely different outfit since that heartbreaking loss to the Kings. Michael Frazier has been on a mission since arriving, averaging almost 20ppg and shooting it at a ridiculous clip of 53% FG and 57% from three. His emergence on the offensive end has taken pressure off Tyler Harvey and Sam Froling, which no surprise has allowed their games to flow more too. The Hawks no longer seem like a team that will be an easy win, and with finals out of the question how many parties can they spoil along the way?

Pressure - High

With 8.9 seconds to go in Perth, I was ready to jump onboard the ‘United to 6^th’ train, because it seemed like they finally had every piece on the floor and could make a run at it. Then it all unfolded. Self-inflicted wounds compiling on top of one another cost United a what should have been three wins on the trot. However, they bounced back in tremendous fashion in the Throwdown with what could be a momentum building win. It won’t be easym though, as United will go on the road for nearly the entire second half of the season due to the Australian Open. Marcus Lee seems to be a great fit averaging 14 points and seven rebounds, and with Shea Ili back in the lineup and Rayjon Tucker balling, this team is finally whole. Can they go on a run?

Pressure - High

The only reason the pressure is currently high on the Breakers, is because they are looking to bounce back from consecutive losses for the first time in NBL23. This is unfamiliar territory for the best defensive team in the competition, and it will be fascinating to see the mindset they have when they step back on the floor. New Zealand give up just 78.4 points per game, which sits comfortably as the best across the NBL. However, in their two recent losses, they allowed 88 to Sydney and 92 to Perth which is out of character for them. Offensively it seems they just continue to get better, averaging over 92 points in their last seven games. Unfortunately we don’t get to see them run it back against Perth just yet, but let’s hope everyone recovers quick so these Breakers can get back on the floor.

Pressure - Medium

The pressure on Perth this season will always be high after what happened to end NBL22, but it’s hard to not think the Wildcats have turned a corner in recent weeks. After that disappointing overtime loss in Brisbane and a 26 second standing timeout in New Zealand this Perth team looks to have a different edge about them. Bryce Cotton is always going to do Bryce Cotton things, but two other players have really stood tall for the Wildcats as of late. Corey Webster has been the main piece for the Wildcats to find their groove and has scored over 20 points in each of their three-game win streak so far. Not only that, but he’s shooting it at 66% from the field across that span as well. Another key contributor has been TaShawn Thomas who has averaged over three assists, six rebounds and double figures in scoring in this win streak. Is Perth back?

Pressure - High

The Phoenix have been rightfully listed as a genuine contender with a full strength roster, but their recent win over Sydney notwithstanding they're yet to be tested against the top teams. In fact, over the last 13 games they have played, they have only played two teams in the top five. Sydney, and before that New Zealand in a contest they lost by 26 points. Other than that, they’ve played United four times and split that series with two wins and two losses. They split two games against Perth and convincingly took care of the Hawks and Adelaide multiple times. Just liked United, the Phoenix will be heading on the road for most of January, which will be a great test for a team that has all the pieces to win it all. Mitch Creek is playing at an MVP level, Alan Williams has been one of the best recruits of the season and Gary Browne and Trey Kell are finding their groove - although the severity of Browne's calf injury is yet to be determined. Once they begin to play the teams at the top of the standings, I think it might just help this group rise to the occasion.

Pressure - Medium

Even after the shock loss to Tasmania on their home floor and their double-overtime defeat to the Phoenix, the Kings still sit on top of the ladder and are still looking like the team to beat. They’ve lost five games on the season to date, with two of those being to a Cairns team which caught fire at the wrong time if you’re a Sydney fan. One thing that Chase Buford will be keen to fix is his team’s ability to put games away when they get out by double digits. Across the course of the season they have played too well early in games to allow opponents to slowly grind their way back and make it interesting. After averaging just 7.5 points in the last two quarters played before the Phoenix game, the Kings will be looking to really ramp it up in the second half of the season much like they did in NBL22. It's been a tough period for sharpshooter DJ Vasiljevic who is shooting just 12.5% from three in their last five games. We know that his confidence will never stray, so once he gets his groove back from deep it could be exactly what the Kings need to show the rest of the league that the title goes through them.

Pressure - Medium

What more can you say about this Jackjumpers squad. After nearly starting the season 0-4, they went on a four-game win streak to get things going. Then after they stumbled to consecutive losses two weeks ago, they strung together three wins on the trot and look every bit of the team we saw last season before their narrow loss to Cairns. Grit and grind and give the ball to Doyle! Everyone knows what this team is capable of when they really knuckle down defensively. Look no further than holding Sydney to nine points in the last quarter in that comeback win. However, they have always needed at least one offensive weapon who can take over games. Enter Milton Doyle, the Silent Assassin. Doyle averaged 27 points in that three-game win streak to go with six rebounds and just over three assists and has been putting Tassie on his back in the clutch. Is this team at full strength enough to win a finals series and get back to the big dance?