Studs and Duds: Round 3

At the conclusion of each round, NBL Media’s Liam Santamaria lets us know who made the grade and who deserves a little shade.

 

STUDS

The Hawks

The Hawks are officially flying.

That’s four wins without a loss for Brian Goorjian’s squad after they closed out their sunshine swing with a drubbing of the Taipans.

Tyler Harvey and Justinian Jessup combined for 40 points on 8-of-11 shooting from outside but where the Hawks have really excelled so far in NBL21 is at the defensive end of the floor.

It’s no surprise, of course, with Goorjian at the helm, but this squad has opened the season as a hardworking, cohesive, lockdown unit.

“That’s got to be the trademark, long-term, of the future of the team. You only win in this league if you guard,’ Goorjian explained.

“Look at Perth… what do they do? They move the ball and they guard. For us, offensively we’re a work in progress but if we defend… it’s been a focus point since day one that we’ve got to guard and we’ve got to guard without fouling.”

That’s precisely what the Hawks have been doing. Across their first four games, the Hawks have restricted opponents to just 78 points a night while committing a league-low 14 fouls per game, resulting in a very low opponent free throw rate.  

In fact, speaking of free throws, the Hawks have only sent someone to the stripe due to being in the penalty a single time across their first four games. Just once! When you combine that with a defence that’s causing a lot of missed shots, well… that’s winning basketball right there.

“A lot of these guys want to go to a higher level – you talk about the NBA and you talk about international – and it’s important to be a two-way player,” Goorjian added.

“It’s something that I’m always talking about – ‘you’ve got to play that side of the ball and you’ve got to play it without fouling to be a complete player’ – and we’re getting buy in.”

 

Isaac Humphries (Adelaide 36ers)

You like two-way players?

Adelaide’s rising star has been performing at an MVP level to open the season and continued his dominance in Round 3 as the 36ers notched up back-to-back home Ws.

Across those two wins, Humphries averaged 24 points, 7 boards and 2.5 blocks per game while shooting 63 percent from the field.

“I just wake up every day and love every single second of my job,” the big fella told John Casey postgame.

“I have the best job in the world; I get to play for amazing fans and basketball’s an incredible sport. I’m just so lucky.”

He’s also developing some very nice chemistry with Adelaide’s other young star, Josh Giddey.

The 18-year-old was brilliant against the Breakers, posting a near triple-double, and their symmetry in the pick-and-roll is already very fun to watch.

 

Nathan Sobey & Vic Law (Brisbane Bullets)

Brisbane’s dynamic dup were All-World this week as they combined for 112 points, produced countless clutch plays and led the Bullets to a couple of hard-fought dubs.

Sobey put up 26 points and a full line in the win over the Kings while Law was a dominant force at both ends, posting 27 and 9 with 5 blocked shots.

Then, against the Snakes, Sobey was enormous down the stretch as he scored 20 of his game-high 30 points in the fourth quarter and overtime while Law had 29 and 11, including the classy game-winner at the rim.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BANG ?. BANG ?.<br><br>The <a href="https://twitter.com/BrisbaneBullets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BrisbaneBullets</a> combo of Vic Law and Nathan Sobey put some serious numbers on the board in Round 3.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL21?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL21</a> By the Numbers powered by <a href="https://twitter.com/LaTrobeFin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LaTrobeFin</a> ? <a href="https://t.co/BnnYCD82pC">pic.twitter.com/BnnYCD82pC</a></p>&mdash; The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1356024795507216386?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Both of those guys are rolling right now and it’s especially nice to see Sobey so up and about. Playing mostly as the team’s secondary ball-handler and primary scoring option on the wing, the athletic guard is well and truly in his comfort zone right now.

Oh, and if you weren’t already aware, Law is one of the very best players in this league.

 

The Entire League

Grizz said it when he said it...

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">So much respect for how all <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBL</a> players and staff are handling this pandemic and it’s relentless obstacles. Players &amp; performance staff’s relocating for months at a time with limited notice. No complaints &amp; always handeled professionally <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL21?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL21</a></p>&mdash; Tommy Greer (@tommygreer10) <a href="https://twitter.com/tommygreer10/status/1356086979763478529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


 

Jack White (Melbourne United)

How good was this guy yesterday?!

Playing his first game in his home state since before he left for Duke, White put the hurt on South East Melbourne with a stat-sheet stuffing performance.

The rookie came out aggressive as he punished the Phoenix for leaving him open and then continued to assert his authority with strong finishes at one end and impressive rim protection at the other.

When all was said and done, White had posted a team-high 22 points, 6 boards and 4 blocked shots.

“The rap on him at different times has been that his shot hasn’t been consistent (but) we’ve seen him shoot the ball so consistently at practice and we have the utmost confidence in him knocking it in,” United coach Dean Vickerman said.

“The way he came out and just shot the ball with really good confidence early and got rewarded but then you see the way he protected the rim… he’s helping us in a lot of areas.”

In the end, the three-point shooting of White and back-up point guard Shea Ili, who combined for 7-of-11 from beyond the arc, was the difference as United outlasted the Phoenix.

 

Dejan Vasiljevic (Sydney Kings)

Speaking of talented rookies, let’s give some love to ‘DJ’ Vasiljevic for the impressive start he’s made to his pro career.

The Kings may have dropped both their games in Round 3 but Vasiljevic was tough throughout; especially on Saturday when he put up a game-high 28 in the City of Churches.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">They might have come in an L, but BIG shouts to <a href="https://twitter.com/SydneyKings?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SydneyKings</a> rookie sniper, <a href="https://twitter.com/DejanMv?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DejanMv</a> on a career-high 2?8? points ?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SYDatADL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SYDatADL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL21?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL21</a> <a href="https://t.co/vTUlTPfQir">pic.twitter.com/vTUlTPfQir</a></p>&mdash; The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1355475155607191562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

After four games, the 23-year-old is averaging 17 points a night on 47 percent shooting from the field and 37 percent from long range.

The kid is a genuine bucket and he’s determined to keep getting better.

“I made a promise to my girlfriend back in America that I’d come back and try to make the NBA next year,” Vasiljevic stated postgame.

“So I’m going to try to do everything I can individually but I’m here to help the Sydney Kings try to win the NBL title.”

 

DUDS

Jesse Wagstaff (Perth Wildcats)

 I honestly don’t know what to say.

I mean, this is a man who has been a valuable contributor on six… SIX!... championship-winning teams. This year he has the chance to become the first person in NBL history to win seven titles as a player.

And yet, with the game on the line – with nobody between him and the basket – the legendary Wildcat completely butchered the lay-up and handed South East Melbourne the win.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">EXPECT. THE. UNEXPECTED. <br><br>A golden game-winning layup opportunity goes begging for the defending champs ?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SEMatPER?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SEMatPER</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL21?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL21</a> <a href="https://t.co/iYIRZpQycl">pic.twitter.com/iYIRZpQycl</a></p>&mdash; The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1355132992373444616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

It was uncharacteristic and, let’s be honest, completely unbelievable. And yet, it happened. And that, right there, is what’s so great about live sport: expect the unexpected.

Which leads us to…

  

Lamar Patterson (NZ Breakers) & Scotty Hopson (Melbourne United)

After dominating last season as two of the very best players in the league, Patterson and Hopson turned up in Round 3 and each delivered their first scoreless games in the NBL.

Patterson went 0-for 5 and was benched down the stretch in NZ’s loss to Adelaide, as the 36ers outscored the Breakers by 24 points during Lamar’s 15 underwhelming minutes on the court.

Hopson, meanwhile, went 0-for-8 on Sunday as his squad outlasted the Phoenix.

Both are clearly struggling but with the Breakers yet to record a W, it’s Patterson who is under greater pressure to get himself right and turn his form around.

“I believe in our team and I believe in Lamar,” Breakers coach Dan Shamir said.

“Lamar is a major part of our team turning it around… I’m not here to point a finger at him, I’m sure he’s disappointed as we all are.”

Pressed further on his star recruit’s slow start, the experienced coach handled the issue shrewdly; managing to show support for his guy while also keeping it one hundred.

“Lamar is a proven player. All-NBL for two years. It’s been a dream for a long time for me to coach him” he said.

“He’s so smart, one of the best passers, he’s a huge mismatch because of his size and his ability to play both on the perimeter and in the low post.

“One of the main factors for basketball players is being in elite shape and sometimes it’s not easy to do it after a while off the floor. As a group we’re not there.”

As for Hopson, he has begun the season similarly poorly.

After averaging 19 points per game for the Breakers last season, the talented import has now scored 13 total points across Melbourne’s first three games, shooting a measly 6-of-31 from the field.

“We see that as the massive upside of our season start so far, that we’ve been able to put three wins together and we haven’t got the expected production out of Scotty so far,” Vickerman said.

“We know it’s going to happen... and he’s been good as a teammate even though he’s not playing the way he wants to right now.”

 

Cairns Taipans

The Snakes competed admirably at times throughout Round 3 – particularly in Brisbane – but wound up dropping another couple of games, sinking their early-season record to an ugly 1-5.

It’s been a disastrous start to the year for the Taipans who have so far failed to do this…

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ready to turn the new house into a fortress. ? <a href="https://t.co/lux0qtdkMK">pic.twitter.com/lux0qtdkMK</a></p>&mdash; Cairns Taipans (@CairnsTaipans) <a href="https://twitter.com/CairnsTaipans/status/1350032473867001856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

That being said, the reigning Coach of the Year is calling for calm.

“I’m getting old now and I’ve played with a lot of teams that were good and a lot of teams that were bad and I’ve coached with a lot of teams that were good and bad… I’ve never seen panic help,” head coach Mike Kelly said.

“We’re not going to panic… we chose this group of players because we believe in both their character and their playing ability.

“We’re going to stick together and let people outside of our group panic for us.”

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