Stat Chat: Analysing The Blitz

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 setup, 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 be our resident stats man on NBL.com.au, providing a rundown of all the key numbers from the weekend's games. 

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

Without further ado, here's Pete's team-by-team review of the Hungry Jack's NBL Blitz. 

If you've found an interesting stat you'd love to see featured in Stat Chat, send a message to Pete on Twitter. 

What's hot? ... 3 & 3
Three games at the Blitz in which they had three different leading scorers. (Craig) Randall with 16 points in Game 1, (Antonius) Cleveland 27 in the next and (Robert) Franks’ 30 ball in the last. The Adelaide 36ers are loaded with one of the most talented rosters in the league and with that comes sacrifice. That equal opportunity and ability to have a different starring man each game will make them incredibly tough to beat. 

What's not? ... 25
Adelaide’s offensive weapons can fill it up from anywhere and everywhere. With their starting big men able to step out and knock it down, they’ll be expecting to take a lot of threes in NBL23. They managed just 25 per cent from outside throughout the Blitz, which may be a concern. Thankfully they still have many ways to score the ball if they’re having a tough night from outside. 

Antonius Cleveland. 

What's hot? ... 9, 9, 15
Those are the minute tallies Nathan Sobey was able to log during the Blitz, and it seems like he received a big tick in terms of his rehab and return. Sobey’s injury has been a concern for Bullets fans since January when he played his last competitive game. He will continue to be monitored and eased into the season, but man it was good to see 'Sobes' in full attack mode during those limited minutes. Don’t forget just how good this man is. It’s great to see him back.

What's not? ... 17.3
The Bullets averaged 17 turnovers a game across the Blitz, which included 20 in their final game against United. It was the first week that they had their entire squad on the floor and with that undoubtedly comes some growing pain. As the rotation tightens up heading into round 1, I’m expecting this number to drop significantly across the course of the season, with the way they have been playing. Unselfish, constant movement and aggressive on the defensive end. 

James Duncan.

What's hot? ... 134
The Taipans had 134 three-point attempts across their three games at the Blitz. Adam Forde hasn’t been shy in discussing how the Taipans are going to play this season. They’re going to play fast and they’re going to shoot a lot of threes. They took 48 in one game alone, so don’t be surprised if they get 50 up in a game this season. If the 'Snakes' are having one of those nights where everything drops, goodluck to whoever is on the other end.

What's not? ... 2
The Taipans have just two players on the roster who have played over 70 NBL games, Majok Deng and Mirko Djeric. After that, their most seasoned player is Keanu Pinder, who has just 63 games under his belt. It will be a big challenge for young leaders like Tahjere McCall to take control of this squad and get the best out of them.

Keanu Pinder and Majok Deng. 

What's hot? ... 51
The Hawks had 51 turnovers forced by their opposition across the three games at the Blitz. Jacob Jackomas has preached how important the defensive effort must be for the Hawks this season, and he will be feeling good about how solid they have been so far. On the flip side they have managed to keep their own turnovers down, and hence capitalize on their efforts. 

What's not? ... 22
The Hawks got outrebounded by 22 against the Breakers in game two. The only rebounding battle they won at the Blitz was against United, which they won by four. They have a couple of players who can fill it up on the glass, but as a collective unit they’ll have to be able to limit some of the bigger teams around the league on the boards.

Jacob Jackomas.

What's hot? ... 21
Isaac Humphries was a +21 in his 16 minutes of playing time against the Wildcats. He scored 16 points and ripped down seven rebounds in what should be a huge boost in his confidence. He followed that up with 12 and seven against the Bullets. With the horrible news of Ariel Hukporti missing the entire season, Humphries' role just became one of the most important pieces for United. If he stays healthy and builds on the last few games, he can be a problem across the league.

What's not? ... 0
Shea Ili didn't play a single minute throughout the entire pre-season due to concussion, which could be a concern for Melbourne United. Ili is arguably their most valuable player behind Chris Goulding and his absence has been clearly evident in the majority of the team's pre-season games. There is no doubt a Vickerman coached side will make it click eventually, but Ili is one of those players that will make that happen a lot quicker when he’s on the floor. 

Isaac Humphries. 

What's hot? ... Quinze 
That’s French for 15. The French next star Rayn Rupert averaged 15 points per game in the Blitz and set social media alight with his exciting potential. He shot the three at a phenomenal clip and looked every bit of the first round draft pick he’s meant to be in the NBA. We have all seen the improvement Next Stars have made throughout the course of an entire season, so if this is what we are already seeing, where does that trajectory put Rupert come March?

What's not? ... 46
The captain and heart and soul of the Breakers, Tom Abercrombie, lasted just 46 seconds of the Blitz before his freak eye injury. He’s the one piece that they just couldn’t afford to lose, and it’s so much more than just his leadership, as he looked fit and ready for a big season. We are all wishing Tom the best and a speedy recovery so he can get back out on the floor, in front of Breakers fans, where he truly belongs.

Rayan Rupert. 

What's hot? ... 87 to 7
The Wildcats dropped a lazy 87 points against the Phoenix in game two and the most impressive part of that was that their superstar Bryce Cotton managed just seven. John Rillie will be thrilled to see that other players are ready to step up when the defence is heavily focused on their leading man.

What's not? ... 2
It was the only game of the Blitz that we saw both Brady Manek and Tashawn Thomas start together, but both managed just two rebounds combined in their big loss to United. Thomas gets a pass as it was his first game back from injury, but the Wildcats had some issues on the glass in the big man department last season. They can’t afford to have that happen very often.

TaShawn Thomas. 

What's hot? ... 19.67
The Phoenix Captain, Kyle Adnam, stood up at the Blitz and averaged almost 20 points per game across the week. Adnam has been no stranger to putting points on the board, but he’s shown an increased maturity in picking the exact moment when his team requires him to get a little more aggressive than usual.

What's not? ... 4
The injury gods haven’t been nice to the Phoenix with four key pieces succumbing to injuries before NBL23 even starts. Those pieces could likely be the four biggest offensive threats for them by the end of the year. Creek, Broekhoff, Kell and Browne are all on the rehab train and hoping to get back to full health to help get the Phoenix rolling.

Gary Browne. 

What's hot? ... 2, 0, 4
Those are the fast break numbers of opposition teams against the Kings at the Blitz. It’s easy to forget at times with all the offensive talent they had last year, just how good Sydney was defensively. This year should be no different. The length and athleticism of all their pieces should prove to be tough to score on in the half court, and it’s in defensive transition that where I think they will be one of the best in the league.

What's not? ... 23.9
The Kings shot just 23.9 per cent from deep across the Blitz, but it won’t bother Chase Buford too much with the roster he has. There are a select few guys like DJ Vasiljevic who will put up a lot of threes, but the other primary scorers on this team will still fill it up without needing to consistently knock it down from outside. 

Chase Buford. 

What's hot? ... 18
As if we needed any more proof of the JackJumpers style of play than what we saw in terms of passing in the Blitz. Averaging 18 assists per game across their week, the unselfishness from every Tasmanian player was once again on show. They know that their success comes from culture and playing as a true team, and they displayed that once again in the preseason.

What's not? ... 59.5
The JJ’s shot just 59.5 per cent from the free-throw line across the Blitz, which is probably their biggest concern from what was otherwise a great week on the court. They’re offense looks to have taken a slight change from launching three’s in NBL22, so if they’re going to continue to put heat on the rim and get fouled, they’ll need to be taking advantage of those trips.

The JackJumpers' bench showing support during the Blitz.