Preview: Tasmania vs Adelaide - Round 18, NBL24

Friday, February 2, 2024

Who can complete a weekly sweep and establish themselves further within the top six?

Sunday, February 4 at 2pm AEDT | MyState Bank Arena

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Both Tasmania and Adelaide won their opening games of Round 18. A sweep of the weekend for the JackJumpers will strengthen their grip on third position, while a 36ers win would move Adelaide equal with sixth-placed Sydney on 12 wins.

Scott Roth has allayed fears Will Magnay could miss Sunday’s clash following his collision with Cairns’ Tahjere McCall on Thursday, and said the center is “as tough as they come”.

Following his new contract signing and Friday’s win over Sydney, DJ Vasiljevic said he would only count this as a ‘good week’ if Adelaide could also defeat Tasmania.

Tasmania
94-86 win over Cairns
88-94 loss to New Zealand
107-86 win over Melbourne

Adelaide
85-78 win over Sydney
88-71 win over Cairns
96-89 win over Illawarra

Sean Macdonald
Sean Macdonald has been handed multiple labels by Tasmania, but Scott Roth calling the development player ‘Tasmania’s Next Star’ earlier in the season was some of the highest praise he’s earned, and he continues to show why he’s so highly thought of by the JackJumpers organisation.

Macdonald was one of a handful of players to step up behind the charge led by Jordon Crawford and Milton Doyle on Thursday night, and a near-half court three on the three quarter time buzzer struck a dagger through the hearts of the Taipans.

The impressive 23-year-old has had a couple of breakout games in NBL24 – with the most notable coming in Round 13 when he dropped 23 points against New Zealand, in which he hit seven of nine threes.

Having a player – and a development player no less – of Macdonald’s all-around quality to back up the import stars of Doyle and Crawford is a luxury Scott Roth has never tried to hide, but it’s time everyone caught on to just how good Macdonald can be.

“I had no doubt, and I had no doubt that I had no doubt (Macdonald would score) – you can take that any way you want to. He hits those at a very high level on shootaround day – at an extremely high level – which I’ve never seen before.” – Scott Roth following the win over Cairns

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sean Macdonald from DEEEEEP ?<br><br>Catch the action live on ESPN via Kayo ? <a href="https://t.co/utaCVDtf3l">pic.twitter.com/utaCVDtf3l</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1752998401765933538?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Sunday Dech
How good has Sunday Dech’s turnaround been in this latter half of NBL24?

When Scott Ninnis replaced CJ Burton at the helm of the 36ers, Dech looked to be one of a handful of veteran players on the chopping block, and a DNP in Ninnis’ first game in charge made it look like the writing was on the wall for the 30-year-old.

Sunday Dech did what Sunday Dech does though. He worked, he grafted, and he earned his way back into Adelaide’s rotation, and not only that, he’s a crucial defensive spearhead for one of the competition’s most in-form teams.

His statistics don’t always jump off the box score, but his leading of an effort that kept former MVP Jaylen Adams to just 28 per cent shooting from the field – and just 27 per cent from inside the arc – absolutely has to be highlighted.

One of the NBL’s all-time great season resurgences is rapidly approaching its culmination, and it’s impossible to deny just how crucial Sunday Dech has been to Adelaide’s turn in fortunes.

“At practice he’s a nuisance, so I don’t like coming against him at practice. A guy like that who just comes in and knows his role, he takes the challenge, he defends, he guards, and I don’t know how many possessions he was guarding Jaylen Adams, but 6/21 is a pretty good job to me. Full credit to Sunday, Nick Marshall, Mitch McCarron, Trey Kell - everyone played their part, but big credit to Sunday.” – DJ Vasiljevic following the win over Sydney.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sunday Dech from so far back we should call him Saturday ?<br><br>Catch the action live on ESPN via Kayo ? <a href="https://t.co/Q1QsG3GgCo">pic.twitter.com/Q1QsG3GgCo</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1720734451271954940?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Will Magnay and Marcus Lee vs Isaac Humphries
The Isaac Humphries train just keeps on rolling on, and the star Adelaide center just continues to take his game to new heights in NBL24.

In his path in this clash though is one of the most adept one-two interior punches in the NBL in Will Magnay and Marcus Lee.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Will Magnay has left the court following this incident with Tahjere McCall.<br><br>Catch the action live on ESPN via Kayo ? <a href="https://t.co/LjE8LvPFKB">pic.twitter.com/LjE8LvPFKB</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1753001364915929463?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Lee will almost certainly start the game, and the import center may not necessarily get the shot-blocking stats to show it, but he’s one of the most adept interior defensive presences in the competition. In fact, he overcame Humphries to be named Melbourne United’s Best Defensive Player of NBL23.

Magnay will be the high-energy spark off the bench, and head coach Scott Roth allayed fears the exciting big will miss Sunday’s game following a collision with Tahjere McCall, following the JackJumpers’ win over the Taipans.

Both Lee and Magnay will keep Humphries accountable on the defensive end of the floor as well, given the pair average over 16 points per game between them.

All three players look to be in rich veins of form at the current time – none more so than Humphries – so an intriguing paint battle awaits.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">That's what you call a ?????? threat. <a href="https://t.co/VjNjgGRfmt">pic.twitter.com/VjNjgGRfmt</a></p>— Adelaide 36ers (@Adelaide36ers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Adelaide36ers/status/1753388101073088876?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Tasmania has won its last three games against Adelaide, but the 36ers are currently on the longest winning streak of any team in the NBL. The last time Adelaide defeated Tasmania was in Round 11 last season, when a 20-point double-double from Antonius Cleveland led the 36ers to an 11-point win.

Gettyimages 1453452110
Antonius Cleveland.