Burning Questions: Your club's biggest challenges

With NBL25 fast approaching and teams searching to find their final pieces, it’s all shaping up for an incredibly exciting season.

There have been a lot of big moves throughout this off-season, with some teams going quick in free agency, and others choosing patience.

With all that has transpired up to this point, here are some burning questions about your club.

RELATED: NBL25 Roster Tracker - Every signing, extension and departure

Can they nail these final import signings?
Adelaide has been linked to a few big names over the off-season and are yet to have landed any of them. Many of those were due to circumstances beyond their control, but it leaves some gaping holes in this roster for the time being.

The positive side of this is that those reports in recent weeks indicate that the 36ers have some money they’re willing to spend and aren’t rushing these important decisions. With DJ Vasiljevic and Isaac Humphries locked away, Adelaide knows that if they can find two high-level impactful pieces to complement two of the country's best locals, they’ll be in a good position when the season begins. 

Which role player will be heavily relied upon in NBL25?
With the recent signing of college graduate Ben Griscti, Adelaide’s backup big man department is going to be something to keep an eye on. With the elevation of Jacob Rigoni to a full roster position, it likely means that either Griscti, Jacob Rigoni or Alex Starling will be playing major contributing minutes when the season tips off.

It’s safe to assume that they’re looking for an import power forward who can also play backup minutes in the center position when needed.

However, perhaps the biggest concern right now is - what happens if Humphries finds himself in foul trouble or misses any games throughout the year? 

Alex Starling.

Which Casey Prather will hit the floor in September?
It’s been no secret from Brisbane that many of their off-season roster plans have been built around the idea that Casey Prather will be ready to explode. When he joined the team last season, no one at the Bullets expected him to come in and play a major role right away. It was more about getting him back on the court after missing significant time due to injury and then building him up through the off-season so that he’s ready to get back to his best. All the reports coming out of Brisbane over the last few weeks are positive in that his body is holding up well and he’s starting to showcase that ability we saw when he was at United and Perth. He played just 15 minutes a game in NBL24, but if Casey Prather is back to his old self in NBL25, it certainly changes the dynamic in the Bullets camp.

Is Josh Bannan ready to take an even bigger leap?
It was a promising rookie campaign for Josh Bannan in NBL24, averaging 12 points and seven rebounds in 19 games. After returning in Round 4 from an injury he sustained during the Blitz, Bannan quickly became a vital piece to this Brisbane puzzle.

With the departure of Nathan Sobey, a lot of responsibility now falls on Bannan to become a major and consistent option for this team. There’s no doubt that he is capable of doing so, but that can also be a lot of pressure to put on a second-year player. 

Casey Prather.

How young is too young?
When it comes to the Cairns Taipans brand, it’s become clear that Adam Forde is very particular with who he recruits to the far North. On one hand, he is all about giving young players an extended opportunity to learn and thrive immediately in the NBL. On the other, he often finds diamonds in the rough who need a second chance or change of scenery and gives them a fresh start.

When it comes to roster balance, Cairns usually always has a veteran presence on their squad, which Forde has admitted he is looking for to complete their team. If we are talking about experience, then it’s a different conversation as well. Cairns has no one who has played more than 100 career games, with Kyrin Galloway being the most veteran player at 97 games. 

Will Sam Waardenburg thrive back in his natural position?
Looking back at last season, it’s easy to point out the inconsistencies from Sam Waardenburg, because a lot of Cairns’ losses came when he didn’t play well. While his overall numbers weren’t poor, averaging 10 points and five rebounds a game, it was his efficiency that let him down – shooting at just 43 per cent from the floor and 25 per cent from three. A lot of this can be attributed to the fact that he was largely playing out of position last season and trying to impact the game in a different way than he’s accustomed too.

With Forde getting a head-start on recruiting, expect Waardenburg to slide back down to the power forward and show everyone exactly why he won the Next Generation Award in his rookie campaign. 

Sam Waardenburg.

Will the ghost of Gary Clark haunt the Hawks?
It’s been one of the hottest topics of the off-season to date; what is happening with Gary Clark and the Illawarra Hawks? It’s been reported numerous times that while there is mutual interest in Clark staying with the club, both parties are too far apart on the deal. While this could certainly still get done, it does raise the question of what happens next if it doesn’t?

Firstly, Clark was a beast under Justin Tatum last season and was one of the most dominant big men in the league. What kind of player could they get to replicate the production that Clark had? Another concern is that if other teams lose pieces to the NBA in the next few weeks, could they be picking up the phone to Clark and enticing a return to Australia?

How much better can this team get with a full Justin Tatum pre-season?
This question should excite Illawarra fans a lot. When Tatum took over last season, the buy-in from the players was instant and success soon followed. As their style of play switched up, so did their confidence and Illawarra started making waves throughout the league. With the majority of the Playoff squad returning, Justin Tatum now has a full pre-season ahead of him to have his squad ready to make some more waves at the beginning of NBL25. 

Gary Clark.

What if both Jack White and Luke Travers don’t return?
Through all the reports in the last few months, it’s highly expected that Luke Travers will get his well-deserved opportunity in the NBA this season. What may have been overlooked, albeit loud and clear at United, is that there is a strong chance that could also happen for Jack White as well. United announced the signing of White last month, which came at a perfect timing for a team that had lost Jo Lual-Acuil as well. White has NBA interest out there after his success in the last two seasons and with some workouts to come over the next month, an opportunity for him isn’t off the table either.

To answer the question quickly and hypothetically – that seems like a good opportunity to pick up the phone with Gary Clark or a player of his calibre. 

Could United be looking at some small ball lineups?
This question is an interesting one, because there are still some major dominoes to fall with this roster in the coming weeks. When you look at United’s three starting guards in (Shea) Ili, (Matthew) Dellavedova and (Chris) Goulding, those are three names who you expect to fill the majority of the stat sheet every night.

On the bench however are Flynn Cameron and Tanner Krebs, two players who will be knocking on the door for extended opportunities this upcoming season. Does this mean Krebs plays some limited minutes in the power forward to space the floor, or does Vickerman roll out Ili, Cameron and Dellavedova for the all-out defensive pest unit? 

Jack White.

Who will lead this team in NBL25?
Right now the biggest question for the Breakers is the obvious one, who is going to coach this team? The Breakers are underway with their interview process and have been very open about the type of coach they’re looking for. New Zealand went hard early in the off-season, signing some key pieces like Mitch McCarron, Mojave King and Jonah Bolden. Add those names to the retention of MVP candidate Parker Jackson-Cartwright and there is still plenty to be excited about if you’re a Breakers fan. What happens next will be very interesting to watch. 

What style will New Zealand play?
We won’t know the answer to this question for some time and that obviously will be on the back of them finding a new coach. Part of Mody Maor’s brilliance was in how he got his players to respond when they faced adversity and we saw that in the last two seasons especially. Another reason why this question is so interesting is because Maor signed these players in the off-season with a particular style of play in mind for his group. That could be a vastly different idea than the new coach has or it could take some working out as the season begins. 

Parker Jackson-Cartwright.

Will patience be a virtue?
With the majority of the Wildcats roster returning, the final pieces of their championship-contending puzzle are vital for them to take another step in NBL25. Danny Mills has mentioned that they are in no rush to find the complementary pieces needed to make sure that they find the perfect fit for what they already have. The position they’re looking for is said to be a wing, which would mean that Kristian Doolittle will likely play more at the power-forward spot. If they can nail this final piece and slot him alongside (Tai) Webster, (Bryce) Cotton, (Kristian) Doolittle and (Keanu) Pinder, then we’ll be looking at one of the most exciting starting units in the league. 

Which young gun will seize the opportunity?
John Rillie hasn’t been shy to trim his rotation down in previous seasons and it’s hard to argue against anything else when you look at the form of his team when he plays no more than eight players. As their roster stands, at least one of their young prospects on the bench is set to get a lot of opportunities in NBL25. That will either be Ben Henshall, Michael Harris or their newest signing in Elijah Pepper. It’s hard to envision them playing all three of them meaningful minutes, but it’s likely that their each going to have a chance to cement themselves in Perth’s rotation at some point. 

Ben Henshall.
  

Will they have the best trio in the league?
With the signings of Nathan Sobey and Derrick Walton Jr to complement Mitch Creek, South East Melbourne have firmly placed themselves in the mix with one of the most dynamic trios around the NBL. If you look at each of the big three individually, you have three of the best players in their respective positions. Yet it’s the way that they should complement each other on the floor that could set them apart from the rest. Walton Jr’s ability to make plays for himself and others, should take a lot of pressure off Sobey to have to be the go-to scorer for 40 minutes. Creek’s versatility makes it easy for him to slot alongside other stars, and it should allow the Phoenix to hunt mismatches all game long. 

What if Jordan Hunter exercises his Asian out-clause?
One thing Jordan Hunter has done well in the last two years is become an asset for winning. By that I mean someone who will compete at a high level on both ends and impact the game without demanding a whole lot of the ball for individual success. As Hunter’s production has increased in recent years, so has his value and hence his long-term contract with the Phoenix. If he receives an offer that is too good to decline, where does that leave South East Melbourne in the big man department? There were whispers of a backup import, much like a Marcus Lee, who could seemingly slide into the starting position if needed. 

Jordan Hunter.

Will they be the best defensive team in the league?
The Sydney Kings have nailed their off-season recruiting and with two pieces to go, it’s already clear that they’ll be a force in NBL25. When they won back-to-back championships, everyone was quick to proclaim them as an offensive powerhouse above every other team. Whilst that was largely true, it’s worth remembering how strong they were on the defensive end as well. With the pieces they now have, we could be looking at their strongest defensive team in recent history. With (Izayah) Le’Afa and (Bul) Kuol terrorising opposition guards, (Xavier) Cooks playing in the lanes and Cam Oliver protecting the rim, we could be looking at a defensive juggernaut.  

Who will win Dunk of the Year?
It must be asked. Just look at the highlight tapes of both Cooks and Oliver from each of their last seasons in the NBL. There aren’t many players who can detonate that quick and are as powerful above the rim like these two. Jump at your own peril. The highlights are coming to Qudos Bank Arena. 

Xavier Cooks.

How will they handle being the hunted?
After Tasmania made the Championship Series in the debut season, everyone called it a fluke and that they couldn’t do it again. Even after they made the top four the following season, no one could have predicted that this club could go a step further in NBL24 and become Champions. Yet they did.

Well, there’s no hiding behind any of that anymore. The JackJumpers are now the team that everyone wants to beat. They bring back all the key pieces from last season and look primed to put themselves in the best chance to repeat. If there’s one edge that this club has over everyone else, it’s mental. So maybe this question is obsolete. 

Who will round out their starting five?
Scott Roth isn’t usually one to change his starting five throughout a season unless he has too. Once he finds the combination he likes, he is going to stick with it regardless of the opposition. It would make sense that Roth would keep Anthony Drmic in the starting lineup to balance out the rest of their attack, but he won’t be without options in this department. Could Craig Sword come into the starting lineup to really bolster them on the defensive end? Does Roth give the young prodigy in Roman Siulepa a chance to make an impact immediately? Or could we see Roth throw Sean MacDonald into the mix? 

NBL24 champions.