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Showing posts with label John Rillie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John Rillie. Show all posts
Thursday, November 7, 2013
In The Game Tees - 20% off sale!
Seven
weeks until Christmas, what do you get for the NBL fan that has everything?
Well our partners at Spreadshirt have just announced a TWENTY percent off sale
to answer that question for you! Loggins, Rucker, Rillie, D-Mac tees all now
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http://classicbasketballtees.spreadshirt.com/
http://classicbasketballtees.spreadshirt.com/
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
John Rillie t-shirt - West Sydney Razorbacks
The Rillie tee has arrived!!
JR is most commonly remembered as a Croc but to me he was the heart and soul of the Razorbacks. Despite winning a championship in Adelaide, his time and input was limited by (Phil) Smyth and the move to West Sydney really saw him make his mark on the league.
John Rillie teamed up with Derek Rucker for the West Sydney Razorbacks to form one of the best back courts of the 90s. JR led West Sydney to the finals in 2002 an...d 2004 but fell just short of the title both times. In 2002 he averaged 22 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists while hitting 3.5 triples a game at a 47% clip. In 2004 he averaged 19 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists while hitting 3.5 triples a game at a 46% clip as well as shooting 90% from the line.
To get your hands on a JR tee or one of his team mates, go to:
http://classicbasketballtees.spreadshirt.com/
JR is most commonly remembered as a Croc but to me he was the heart and soul of the Razorbacks. Despite winning a championship in Adelaide, his time and input was limited by (Phil) Smyth and the move to West Sydney really saw him make his mark on the league.
John Rillie teamed up with Derek Rucker for the West Sydney Razorbacks to form one of the best back courts of the 90s. JR led West Sydney to the finals in 2002 an...d 2004 but fell just short of the title both times. In 2002 he averaged 22 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists while hitting 3.5 triples a game at a 47% clip. In 2004 he averaged 19 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists while hitting 3.5 triples a game at a 46% clip as well as shooting 90% from the line.
To get your hands on a JR tee or one of his team mates, go to:
http://classicbasketballtees.spreadshirt.com/
Friday, May 10, 2013
West Sydney Razorbacks t-shirts
Gather round and let me tell you about a time when the NBL was booming and there were not one but two teams from Sydney!
Growing up as a Bullets fan it was natural to hate the Sydney Kings. I wasn’t alone tho and there were plenty of bask...etball fans even in Sydney who didn’t like the Kings. So much so, they needed another team in their hometown that they could support and the West Sydney Razorbacks entered the NBL.
The Razorbacks played their first game in the NBL on October 10, 1998 defeating the Kings 103-97 and a great rivalry was born. They qualified for the playoffs in their second season and then made history in 2001/2002 as the first Sydney team in the NBL to make it to the grand finals. They had the chance to beat the Kings in the race to an NBL title but unfortunately it wasn’t to be as they fell short against the 36ers.
The Razorbacks soon built a great team that ran and were fun to watch. I’ll admit, around that time they became my team as I tired of the Bullets stinking it up post-Leroy. Depending on your favourite player, West Sydney’s nickname soon became either the Rilliebacks or Ruckerbacks.
Hate the Kings? No problem, we’ve got you covered with our tribute to the West Sydney Razorbacks. Representing them in our “Legends” series is Derek Rucker, John Rillie, Sam Mackinnon, Bruce Bolden and Simon Dwight.
Sydney, its time to represent, show your support for our game, and remind everyone that your town is not just about football! Like, share and shop!
Check out our store for team 3 of the "Legends" range:
http://classicbasketballtees.spreadshirt.com/
Growing up as a Bullets fan it was natural to hate the Sydney Kings. I wasn’t alone tho and there were plenty of bask...etball fans even in Sydney who didn’t like the Kings. So much so, they needed another team in their hometown that they could support and the West Sydney Razorbacks entered the NBL.
The Razorbacks played their first game in the NBL on October 10, 1998 defeating the Kings 103-97 and a great rivalry was born. They qualified for the playoffs in their second season and then made history in 2001/2002 as the first Sydney team in the NBL to make it to the grand finals. They had the chance to beat the Kings in the race to an NBL title but unfortunately it wasn’t to be as they fell short against the 36ers.
The Razorbacks soon built a great team that ran and were fun to watch. I’ll admit, around that time they became my team as I tired of the Bullets stinking it up post-Leroy. Depending on your favourite player, West Sydney’s nickname soon became either the Rilliebacks or Ruckerbacks.
Hate the Kings? No problem, we’ve got you covered with our tribute to the West Sydney Razorbacks. Representing them in our “Legends” series is Derek Rucker, John Rillie, Sam Mackinnon, Bruce Bolden and Simon Dwight.
Sydney, its time to represent, show your support for our game, and remind everyone that your town is not just about football! Like, share and shop!
Check out our store for team 3 of the "Legends" range:
http://classicbasketballtees.spreadshirt.com/
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
RIP johnrillie.com
Its a say day in the NBL blogging world ... I randomly checked John Rillie's website only to see the following:
Welcome to johnrillie.com | |
| |
 |
| | | |
This domain may be for sale. Backorder this Domain
As anyone that follows the NBL would know, JR was by far the best blogger the NBL has seen and he will be sadly missed.
If you haven't heard what Rillie is up to lately, he packed up the family, leaving Townsville to take up a position as Director of Basketball Operations at Boise State in Idaho.
As anyone that follows the NBL would know, JR was by far the best blogger the NBL has seen and he will be sadly missed.
If you haven't heard what Rillie is up to lately, he packed up the family, leaving Townsville to take up a position as Director of Basketball Operations at Boise State in Idaho.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Foot Locker Elite Classic - Day 0
I say Day 0 because the tournament doesn't actually get underway until tomorrow so today was the day before day 1.
I was up at 4:40 in order to finish my packing and get to the airport in time for my 6:30 flight to Adelaide. When I checked in to Virgin Blue I noticed my seat number looked like it was down the back but for some reason I didn't think to change it. Having dated a Virgin Blue flight attendant and knowing a few others, I was aware that they put kids, babies, families down the back of the plane. I found myself sitting next to a mum with 2 young kids which wasn't too bad until 20 minutes or so before we landed and all hell broke loose. Note to self: make sure to sit down the front on the way home.
When we landed in Adelaide, I got a lift in to the city with Mark Bradtke, Deba George and a couple of the guys that were helping run the tournament. I caught up with JVG at the Stamford and met a few of the players who had already arrived and were waiting to check-in. More players and coaches arrived gradually throughout the day and the hotel was soon buzzing.
I helped collect bios on the players for One and had to call a few of the guys that hadn't arrived to fill theirs in over the phone. The first was my boy John Rillie and the next was Stephen Hoare who both fly in tomorrow and then one of the local Adelaide guys (who I caught up with at the Dome.)
In the afternoon we headed out to the Adelaide Dome to meet with the guys who are running the broadcast, while a number of the teams had shoot-arounds at another stadium. We had a meeting in the Sixers lounge surrounded by team pictures of all the Adelaide players throughout the years. Before we left we saw some of the sequences and imagining One are running during the event ... they look pretty good. Cal Bruton gave us a lift back in to town where we grabbed some dinner before the evenings events.
I had some running around to do before a meeting with all the players and coaches. It was essentially a welcome to everyone, a run through of what would be happening over the next week and what ECB's expectations were of those involved.
The day begins early tomorrow and after my 4:40 start this morning its a quiet night in for me and hopefully a good night sleep. Can't wait for the tournament to get started tomorrow!
I was up at 4:40 in order to finish my packing and get to the airport in time for my 6:30 flight to Adelaide. When I checked in to Virgin Blue I noticed my seat number looked like it was down the back but for some reason I didn't think to change it. Having dated a Virgin Blue flight attendant and knowing a few others, I was aware that they put kids, babies, families down the back of the plane. I found myself sitting next to a mum with 2 young kids which wasn't too bad until 20 minutes or so before we landed and all hell broke loose. Note to self: make sure to sit down the front on the way home.
When we landed in Adelaide, I got a lift in to the city with Mark Bradtke, Deba George and a couple of the guys that were helping run the tournament. I caught up with JVG at the Stamford and met a few of the players who had already arrived and were waiting to check-in. More players and coaches arrived gradually throughout the day and the hotel was soon buzzing.
I helped collect bios on the players for One and had to call a few of the guys that hadn't arrived to fill theirs in over the phone. The first was my boy John Rillie and the next was Stephen Hoare who both fly in tomorrow and then one of the local Adelaide guys (who I caught up with at the Dome.)
In the afternoon we headed out to the Adelaide Dome to meet with the guys who are running the broadcast, while a number of the teams had shoot-arounds at another stadium. We had a meeting in the Sixers lounge surrounded by team pictures of all the Adelaide players throughout the years. Before we left we saw some of the sequences and imagining One are running during the event ... they look pretty good. Cal Bruton gave us a lift back in to town where we grabbed some dinner before the evenings events.
I had some running around to do before a meeting with all the players and coaches. It was essentially a welcome to everyone, a run through of what would be happening over the next week and what ECB's expectations were of those involved.
The day begins early tomorrow and after my 4:40 start this morning its a quiet night in for me and hopefully a good night sleep. Can't wait for the tournament to get started tomorrow!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Top 10 NBA 3 Point Shooters of All Time
A strange source of NBA and basketball shooting information, I came across this list thanks to a Twitter post from business guru Guy Kawasaki.
Click on the title below to read the full story.
Top 10 NBA 3 Point Shooters of All Time | Top 10 Lists | TopTenz.net
The NBA has changed many times over, but the biggest change was made in the addition of the 3 point shot in the 1979-80 season. The 3 point shot started as a tool to catch teams up and only a handful of players where considered marksman. However, in today’s game the 3 point shot is used more than ever and accounts for over 35% of all shots take in the average NBA game. The list below will demonstrate not just who has hit the most, been the most accurate, or hit them when they counted the most, but a combination of all three.Essentially, the top ten are:
10. Chuck Person
9. Dell Curry
8. Dan Majerle
7. Peja Stojakovic
6. Steve Nash
5. Glen Rice
4. Dale Ellis
3. Larry Bird
2. Ray Allen
1. Reggie Miller
The notable omission for mine is Mark Price. I also think its somewhat harsh to have Larry at #3 but I guess he wasn't "just" a three-pointer shooter and despite his heroics from downtown, there have been better, more consistent shooters from deep. Over-rated for mine, Dale Ellis at 4? Maybe the author is from Seattle.
I'm sure John Rillie will agree with Miller at #1, but who do you think is missing off this list? Who do you think should be #1?
Click on the title below to read the full story.
Top 10 NBA 3 Point Shooters of All Time | Top 10 Lists | TopTenz.net
The NBA has changed many times over, but the biggest change was made in the addition of the 3 point shot in the 1979-80 season. The 3 point shot started as a tool to catch teams up and only a handful of players where considered marksman. However, in today’s game the 3 point shot is used more than ever and accounts for over 35% of all shots take in the average NBA game. The list below will demonstrate not just who has hit the most, been the most accurate, or hit them when they counted the most, but a combination of all three.Essentially, the top ten are:
10. Chuck Person
9. Dell Curry
8. Dan Majerle
7. Peja Stojakovic
6. Steve Nash
5. Glen Rice
4. Dale Ellis
3. Larry Bird
2. Ray Allen
1. Reggie Miller
The notable omission for mine is Mark Price. I also think its somewhat harsh to have Larry at #3 but I guess he wasn't "just" a three-pointer shooter and despite his heroics from downtown, there have been better, more consistent shooters from deep. Over-rated for mine, Dale Ellis at 4? Maybe the author is from Seattle.
I'm sure John Rillie will agree with Miller at #1, but who do you think is missing off this list? Who do you think should be #1?
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Breakers vs Wildcats
Its been an extremely busy week at work so today was the first chance I've had to duck down to the gym. As well as the physical benefits of getting some cardio in, the other bonus was that I got to catch the end of the New Zealand Breakers vs Perth Wildcats game on Fox.
The game was notable for a number of reasons. First it was the debut this season of John Rillie (pictured right in his new strip) after his axing from the Crocs, secondly the Breakers have been struggling of late and needed a win and finally, the two teams had matched up in the previous round in Perth that had resulted in an easy win for the home-team.
Rillie was eased back in to things with just 13 minutes of court-time and while he knocked down 1 of 2 from deep his biggest impact was felt on the boards with 5 rebounds. Youngster Thomas Abercrombie led the Breakers in scoring with 23 points but the most influential player was Dillon Boucher. Boucher was at his menacing best frustrating Shawn Redhage and finishing the game with 8 boards, 7 assists, 4 points, 3 blocks & 2 steals.
The Breakers scored a much needed win 83 - 74 but it never actually seemed as close as the score would indicate.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
John Rillie - back in the NBL
Welcome back to the NBL, John Rillie!!
The news officially broke today that John Rillie has been signed by the New Zealand Breakers to replace import Awvee Storey. Rumours of this signing have been floating around on Twitter between the people in the know for the last two weeks or so but I was waiting for John or the NBL to make it official.
JR himself has kept it very much under wraps with no hint of the signing on his blog or on FaceBook until putting a note on the latter today.
New Zealand are now stacked with shooters as Rillie joins fellow gunners CJ Bruton, Oscar Forman and the currently injured Kirk Penney. Look for it to rain triples when the Breakers play!
Rillie in, Storey out
The Burger King NZ Breakers are flying in an NBL veteran to supplement their playing stocks ahead of Thursday night’s home game against the Perth Wildcats with John Rillie jetting into the club late last night. And as the club considers the ideal playing mix for the remainder of the season, the decision has also been made today to release American import Awvee Storey.
The call to release Storey was not one taken lightly by the club, with Head Coach Andrej Lemanis wishing the American well in the future.
“Awvee has acted like the true professional he is throughout his time with us, working hard on and off court. But from time to time you are faced with making tough calls and this was one of them, things simply weren’t working out and we needed to make a change. All of us on the team and at the club wish Awvee and his family all the best for the future.”
Meanwhile former Boomer Rillie has arrived at the club, a decision that was taken prior to that of letting Storey go. With Kirk Penney still out injured and back up centre Alex Pledger out for at least a further 3 weeks with a knee injury, Breakers General Manager Richard Clarke said the club simply needed another body on the floor at training and on stand by for Thursday night and the 38 year old Rillie has answered the call.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
John Rillie update
Came across this article on Twitter earlier today. If you haven't heard what John Rillie is up to since he's not in the NBL this season, check it out below (click on the title to read the full story). I heard about this business earlier in the year and wish JR all the best with it.
While the article says that John is focussing on the future, he hasn't officially retired ... so I don't think he's completely ruled out playing again, should the right opportunity present itself. Stay tuned
Rillie focused on future
Former National Basketball League star and consecutive games record holder, John Rillie, has returned to the sport but in a new capacity. The 2004 Olympian is a part owner of BrevAlto Management, a new company specialising in sports and player management.
Apart from his NBL and Olympic experience, John also played ball for Gonzaga in the US college system and for powerhouse club AEK Athens BC. Rillie intends to use his broad experience and extensive contacts to assist both junior and senior players in maximising their potential nationally and internationally, including at NBA and WNBA levels.
Whilst basketball is clearly his area of expertise, Rillie and his fellow directors will also be utilising their broad expertise to assist athletes in sports other than basketball.
The transition from player to ‘manager’ is a natural progression for the self confessed basketball junkie.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Five shooters to watch this season
Damn you JR, I had this idea on the weekend but hadn't got around to blogging it yet and then on Monday he releases his "Five I watch with interest". Sort of me reminds me of this.
Anyway, since our blog focusses more on the shooting aspect of the game, its time to have a look at the five shooters to keep an eye on this NBL season. Unlike JR, I didn't have the benefit of seeing any of the new imports in action in Darwin, so I'm going to stick with the local talent.
1. Kirk Penney - NZ Breakers
No surprise here, Kirk led the league in scoring last season and was regularly talked about in our blog. This season, the Breakers have been tipped as the favourites after getting knocked out in the semis last year and if they are to have any hope they'll need Penney to be at the same level as he was last season.
2. James Harvey - Gold Coast Blaze
Harvey (pictured right) had his moments last season but due to injuries missed a number of games. His team wasn't good and his frustration was evident. I know firsthand Harvey has put in plenty of work in the off-season and the experience he got with the Boomers should pay off this year. With a new coach and much better ensemble cast around him, look for Harvey to put up good numbers for the Blaze.
3. Michael Cedar - Townsville Crocs
Cedar had a break-out season of sorts last year. He's been in the league for a number of years but never seen enough minutes to really show what he can do. Last season he got that shot and delivered on a number of occasions. The Crocs cleared out veteran leader John Rillie to make room for the young guards in Michael Cedar and Brad Williamson and if they don't really step up and deliver there will be many disappointed people.
4. Tim Coenraad - Wollongong Hawks
I've mentioned him numerous times this off-season for his play with the Northside Wizards and also his strong start in the Top End Challenge. He might not see consistent minutes in the early rounds so look to him to provide a scoring spark off the bench for the Hawks. He's playing with old friends Rhys Martin and Cameron Tragardh so hopefully their off-court mateship will provide some good on-court chemistry.
5. Nathan Herbert - Adelaide 36'ers
I've rounded out the top 5 with a youngster who showed glimpses of shooting greatness last season. Herbert was a spark-plug off the bench for the champion Dragons but with that club no longer around he finds himself in Adelaide. The 36'ers have lost sharp-shooter Brett Maher and will need Herbert to be a threat from deep. If he gets consistent minutes, Herbert could be a candidate for Most Improved Player.
Now, I'm not saying these are the 5 best shooters in the league but these are 5 that could have a big impact on their team's fortunes. At the moment, I'd say the top 5 shooters in the league are: Kirk Penney, James Harvey, CJ Bruton, Phill Jones and maybe Oscar Forman. The last spot could go to Cedar, Williamson, Crawford, Kendall or a few others.
Let me know what you think of the five shooters to watch or even the my pick as the top five shooters in the league right now.
Anyway, since our blog focusses more on the shooting aspect of the game, its time to have a look at the five shooters to keep an eye on this NBL season. Unlike JR, I didn't have the benefit of seeing any of the new imports in action in Darwin, so I'm going to stick with the local talent.
1. Kirk Penney - NZ Breakers
No surprise here, Kirk led the league in scoring last season and was regularly talked about in our blog. This season, the Breakers have been tipped as the favourites after getting knocked out in the semis last year and if they are to have any hope they'll need Penney to be at the same level as he was last season.
2. James Harvey - Gold Coast Blaze
Harvey (pictured right) had his moments last season but due to injuries missed a number of games. His team wasn't good and his frustration was evident. I know firsthand Harvey has put in plenty of work in the off-season and the experience he got with the Boomers should pay off this year. With a new coach and much better ensemble cast around him, look for Harvey to put up good numbers for the Blaze.
3. Michael Cedar - Townsville Crocs
Cedar had a break-out season of sorts last year. He's been in the league for a number of years but never seen enough minutes to really show what he can do. Last season he got that shot and delivered on a number of occasions. The Crocs cleared out veteran leader John Rillie to make room for the young guards in Michael Cedar and Brad Williamson and if they don't really step up and deliver there will be many disappointed people.
4. Tim Coenraad - Wollongong Hawks
I've mentioned him numerous times this off-season for his play with the Northside Wizards and also his strong start in the Top End Challenge. He might not see consistent minutes in the early rounds so look to him to provide a scoring spark off the bench for the Hawks. He's playing with old friends Rhys Martin and Cameron Tragardh so hopefully their off-court mateship will provide some good on-court chemistry.
5. Nathan Herbert - Adelaide 36'ers
I've rounded out the top 5 with a youngster who showed glimpses of shooting greatness last season. Herbert was a spark-plug off the bench for the champion Dragons but with that club no longer around he finds himself in Adelaide. The 36'ers have lost sharp-shooter Brett Maher and will need Herbert to be a threat from deep. If he gets consistent minutes, Herbert could be a candidate for Most Improved Player.
Now, I'm not saying these are the 5 best shooters in the league but these are 5 that could have a big impact on their team's fortunes. At the moment, I'd say the top 5 shooters in the league are: Kirk Penney, James Harvey, CJ Bruton, Phill Jones and maybe Oscar Forman. The last spot could go to Cedar, Williamson, Crawford, Kendall or a few others.
Let me know what you think of the five shooters to watch or even the my pick as the top five shooters in the league right now.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Basketball Hall of Fame
The big news in the basketball world was the induction of Michael Jordan in to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Joining the great one in this year's class were John Stockton, David Robinson, Jerry Sloan & Vivian Stringer.
The crew over at Dime spent much of the weekend talking about the entrants and the ceremony. Most of the articles are 2 or 3 pages deep now.
John Rillie was one of the few that wasn't so focused on MJ, instead talking about his fellow Gonzaga, alumni John Stockton. Click here to read his thoughts about one of the best point guards to ever play the game.
The crew over at Dime spent much of the weekend talking about the entrants and the ceremony. Most of the articles are 2 or 3 pages deep now.
John Rillie was one of the few that wasn't so focused on MJ, instead talking about his fellow Gonzaga, alumni John Stockton. Click here to read his thoughts about one of the best point guards to ever play the game.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Mark Worthington's blog
With it looking like John Rillie's NBL playing career has come to an end, stepping in to fill his shoes as the unofficial current blogging player is Mark Worthington from the Melbourne Tigers (formerly of the Dragons, formerly of the Kings).
I've mentioned in this blog a number of times, "Wortho" is one of my least favourite players. Being a part of the Brisbane Bullets, its my job to hate the Sydney Kings and Worthington was a big part of their team before they disappeared. Don't get me wrong, the guy can play, I know that and I respect his talent ... but it doesn't mean I have to like him (on-court). He even mentions it on the profile of his blog: "I'm a basketballer, many look at me as a villain, to my friends i'm just the guy who likes too hang with my mates, drink beers and get white line fever when i step on the basketball court. Im a gemini there are definately two sides to me. Love me or Hate me. It's okay, you're all welcome here"
He's started off strongly with his all-time top 5 for each team and hopefully his blogging frequency continues during the season. His second post was certainly open and honest about his previous two teams and the situation with them both. Click here to check out his blog.
I've mentioned in this blog a number of times, "Wortho" is one of my least favourite players. Being a part of the Brisbane Bullets, its my job to hate the Sydney Kings and Worthington was a big part of their team before they disappeared. Don't get me wrong, the guy can play, I know that and I respect his talent ... but it doesn't mean I have to like him (on-court). He even mentions it on the profile of his blog: "I'm a basketballer, many look at me as a villain, to my friends i'm just the guy who likes too hang with my mates, drink beers and get white line fever when i step on the basketball court. Im a gemini there are definately two sides to me. Love me or Hate me. It's okay, you're all welcome here"
He's started off strongly with his all-time top 5 for each team and hopefully his blogging frequency continues during the season. His second post was certainly open and honest about his previous two teams and the situation with them both. Click here to check out his blog.
NBL update
With less than 2 weeks until the NBL season kicks off I'm slowly getting back in to blogging shape after taking much of the month of August off. Other than it being the off-season in the NBA, not yet pre-season in the NBL and generally not much happening in the basketball world, I was selling my unit and moving house and office. Other than the normal fun that comes with moving I had some issues with the phone lines and my ADSL so that took time to get sorted.
Anyway, I'm easing back in to bball mode with some updates about the NBL from the last week or so.
1. From last week's Top End Challenge pre-season tournament in Darwin, here is the vision:
Day 1
Day 2
Adelaide vs Melbourne
Gold Coast vs Wollongong
Townsville vs Breakers
Cairns vs Perth
Day 3
Perth vs Melbourne
Gold Coast vs Townsville
Cairns vs Adelaide
Wollongong vs Breakers
If you missed it, John Rillie was there in a media capacity reporting for the NBL website and tweeting like crazy. He did very well until an errant pass took out his laptop.
Some of his random thoughts:
The big news this week was the announcement that NBL superstar Chris Anstey will miss the first half of the season due to hip surgery. It'll be interesting to see how the Tigers perform without Anstey who has been the focus of their team for the last few years. If Sam Mackinnon and Mark Worthington are healthy they should still do well ... but with or without Anstey, they still lack a decent point guard to run the show.
From a basketball shooting perspective, its good to see that Phill (Phull) Jones was named as the captain of the Cairns Taipans team. When he was let go by the Breakers after last season there was a chance he may not get picked up by another team so its great to see him leading the Taipans and he's already in good shooting form so far this pre-season.
Anyway, I'm easing back in to bball mode with some updates about the NBL from the last week or so.
1. From last week's Top End Challenge pre-season tournament in Darwin, here is the vision:
Day 1
Day 2
Adelaide vs Melbourne
Gold Coast vs Wollongong
Townsville vs Breakers
Cairns vs Perth
Day 3
Perth vs Melbourne
Gold Coast vs Townsville
Cairns vs Adelaide
Wollongong vs Breakers
If you missed it, John Rillie was there in a media capacity reporting for the NBL website and tweeting like crazy. He did very well until an errant pass took out his laptop.
Some of his random thoughts:
- All Tournament Team - James Harvey - Gold Coast Blaze- Corey Willimas - Townsville Crocodiles- Kirk Penney - New Zealand Breakers- Tywain McKee - Wollongong Hawks- Cameron Tragardh (MVP) - Wollongong Hawks
- Dillon Boucher makes plays just because he wants it more than the guy he is competing against.
- Tim Coenraad will give the Rookie of the Year Award a nudge this year. Back from the States and just finished playing for the Northside Wizards in the Queensland ABL, this young fellow plays with confidence and a chip on his shoulder. Gordie McLeod has found a good one here.
The big news this week was the announcement that NBL superstar Chris Anstey will miss the first half of the season due to hip surgery. It'll be interesting to see how the Tigers perform without Anstey who has been the focus of their team for the last few years. If Sam Mackinnon and Mark Worthington are healthy they should still do well ... but with or without Anstey, they still lack a decent point guard to run the show.
From a basketball shooting perspective, its good to see that Phill (Phull) Jones was named as the captain of the Cairns Taipans team. When he was let go by the Breakers after last season there was a chance he may not get picked up by another team so its great to see him leading the Taipans and he's already in good shooting form so far this pre-season.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
The great NBL debate
A few days ago John Rillie posted some thoughts from an NBL "fan" about his frustrations with the league and the seeming lack of change from the reform process.
I'm a bit tired of all the negative flack that the league and its head office cops so I took the time to comment and provide a different perspective. When things are going bad, its too easy to point fingers and expect things to happen overnight ... but fixing the problems of the NBL will take time.
I didn't think about it for a few days and when I went back yesterday to see the response there had been PLENTY! Click here to see the flow of comments, thankfully yours truly got a bit of support from a number of other posters.
Regardless of where you stand in the debate about how the reform process is going, the fact that there is this level of passion and interest can only be a good thing.
I'm a bit tired of all the negative flack that the league and its head office cops so I took the time to comment and provide a different perspective. When things are going bad, its too easy to point fingers and expect things to happen overnight ... but fixing the problems of the NBL will take time.
I didn't think about it for a few days and when I went back yesterday to see the response there had been PLENTY! Click here to see the flow of comments, thankfully yours truly got a bit of support from a number of other posters.
Regardless of where you stand in the debate about how the reform process is going, the fact that there is this level of passion and interest can only be a good thing.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Twitter ... I didn't want to, but
I've previously said I would avoid the Twitter fad but today I relented ...
Prompted by a post from John Rillie about his trip to Darwin to follow the Top End Challenge I decided to take the step and sign up. It seems that if you want to stay up to date with what's really happening, especially in the sporting world, Twitter is now a must have. The crew at Dime virtually fill half of their off-season smack with Twitter updates from players.
After "following" JR, I tagged a number of others in the basketball world (both NBL & NBA) to keep up to date with. So far I have:
- Patty Mills
- Kevin Garnett
- Shaq
- Stephen Curry
- Steve Nash
- Mark Cuban
- Andrew Bogut
- Big Joe
- Joe Ingles
- Shawn Marion
- Troy Murphy
- Luke Schenscher
- Chris Webber
- Kevin Durant
I'm getting a new mobile within the next week so I'll now make sure I can get one that I can tweet from.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Kirk Penney & Corey Williams
With the NBL season long finished, its been ages since I've been able to write anything about one of our favourite shooters from last season, Kirk Penney. This article was on the NBL website last week and I just had to post it here. When you look at the names missing from the New Zealand team, that indeed must be a young inexperienced squad they're running with. Look for our man Kirk to get plenty of buckets with many of the other scoring options not in action.
NBL > News
Breakers star Kirk Penney says he is enjoying being the New Zealand Tall Blacks captain and mentoring the younger players on the Europe tour.
Penney is leading the young side in its current tour of Europe, without stalwarts Sean Marks, Pero Cameron, Dillon Boucher, Paul Henare and Phill Jones.
'I'm just hoping that the boys can understand what it is to be part of the Tall Blacks culture that we have established over the last ten years that I've been a part of.'
Also, thanks to John Rillie for pointing it out, there was a good article on Corey "Homicide" Williams on Slam Online. The announcement came last week that Corey has re-signed with the Townsville Crocodiles which is great to see as he's a fan favourite and the type of personality the league needs right now.
My question from the article below tho ... if Corey is shooting 500 jumpers per day, he's either got to start shooting 1000 or instead start counting his makes rather than his takes (quick basketball shooting tip). Click on the title below to read the full story.
SLAM ONLINE | » Where They At?
Homicide wasn’t one of those child prodigies that took the courts seriously as a youth. Quite the opposite; Hom was somewhat of a late-bloomer, and didn’t get serious about hoops till he was about 13. Even then, the Bronx native’s game didn’t take flight immediately. Nope. Nobody was hyping him as the next great thing from New York—that title was left to the likes of Lenny Cooke and Stephon Marbury. When he was in high school (Rice) and college (Alabama State), and not receiving the attention he thought he deserved, Williams may have regretted the late start, and resented the scouts and critics for overlooking his game. Now, nearly two decades since his love of the game developed, Hom has put it all in perspective.
“Being overlooked, starting late, all of that, that why I play with a chip on my shoulder,” says Williams. “I felt jaded. I thought coaches couldn’t and didn’t want to help me. All of that built up inside of me. So now when I come at you, I come full steam, with all of that pushing me forward.”
That “steam” is the same force that drives Corey to trek up mountains, and work out for hours on end. If he isn’t taking 500 jumpers, Homicide is working on his handle or is teaming up with dudes on the court, sweating to better his pick-and-roll offense. The first place that the effort and drive paid off was on some of the hallowed parks dotting the five boroughs of New York City.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
NBA Draft '09
Its been a week since I last posted ... can you tell its pretty quiet in the basketball world right now??
In the (new) NBL, teams are signing players and getting themselves organised for the upcoming season. There are still plenty of announcements yet to happen and plenty of quality talent waiting to get picked up (John Rillie anyone?).
In the NBA, since the Lakers took care of business in the NBA Championship Series a little early, all the talk at the moment is about the upcoming draft. From an Aussie perspective, there's plenty of interest around Patrick Mills and if he will go in the first round. Then, once his name has been called, the interest surrounds Joe Ingles and where/when he'll be drafted.
Hopefully Patty will be picked up a team that can give him some minutes straight away. Ideally a team with a good point guard that he can learn from. As for Ingles, the question is whether he'll be signed to a contract by his team or if he'll be the next Brad Newley/CJ Bruton (drafted but yet to play in the NBA).
John Rillie found a couple of interviews with Patty and Joe, click here to check them out.
The team at Dime have had plenty of stories about the draft so check out their site and stay up to date with everything that's happening.
In the (new) NBL, teams are signing players and getting themselves organised for the upcoming season. There are still plenty of announcements yet to happen and plenty of quality talent waiting to get picked up (John Rillie anyone?).
In the NBA, since the Lakers took care of business in the NBA Championship Series a little early, all the talk at the moment is about the upcoming draft. From an Aussie perspective, there's plenty of interest around Patrick Mills and if he will go in the first round. Then, once his name has been called, the interest surrounds Joe Ingles and where/when he'll be drafted.
Hopefully Patty will be picked up a team that can give him some minutes straight away. Ideally a team with a good point guard that he can learn from. As for Ingles, the question is whether he'll be signed to a contract by his team or if he'll be the next Brad Newley/CJ Bruton (drafted but yet to play in the NBA).
John Rillie found a couple of interviews with Patty and Joe, click here to check them out.
The team at Dime have had plenty of stories about the draft so check out their site and stay up to date with everything that's happening.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Steve Nash on Letterman
Its a tough life when you're one of the top ball players in the world. Sure, Steve Nash would've been bitterly disappointed that his team didn't make the playoffs but his off-season has been pretty cool all the same.
First there was his guest cameo on Entourage and now he's the official NBA correspondent for the David Letterman Show. Although I don't mention him quite as often as Ray Allen or John Rillie, Nash is my favourite current player and he's not just a great point guard and genuine nice guy, he's also extremely funny. Check out his first performance on Letterman:
First there was his guest cameo on Entourage and now he's the official NBA correspondent for the David Letterman Show. Although I don't mention him quite as often as Ray Allen or John Rillie, Nash is my favourite current player and he's not just a great point guard and genuine nice guy, he's also extremely funny. Check out his first performance on Letterman:
Friday, May 29, 2009
John Rillie ... free agent
I was SHOCKED to see the news that John Rillie had been released by the Townsville Crocodiles. I first noticed something on FaceBook from JR last night and then had it confirmed on his blog.
Its sad that John won't finish his career in Townsville where his young family have seemed well suited to over the last few years. JR mentions on his site that he only wanted to play one more season and it would have been good to have him do this is as a Croc.
That said, I don't think JR will have too much trouble picking up with a new team, after all he played for Brisbane, Adelaide, West Sydney before heading up north to The 'Ville. Of the 8 teams named to the new league, I think you can really only rule out the Breakers as they have more than enough shooters. But the rest of the teams would no doubt love a veteran shooter to play 25 mins off the bench as well as bring experience to the locker room. With the Tigers back in the league, I'm sure Anstey would love a real shooter to kick out to from the double team (no offence Ebi).
We wish Rillie the best of luck in his next/final chapter and you can of course follow along as it all happens at JR, On Fire.
Townsville Crocodiles > News
Rillie & Egan released
Thursday, 28 May 2009
The Townsville McDonald’s Crocodiles today announced that they would not be looking at this stage to re-sign Daniel Egan and John Rillie for the 2009/2010 NBL season. Both players met with club officials today and were advised of the decision.
“Given the announcement today that Melbourne would be fielding a team and that there is now 8 teams ready to play next season, we believed it was important that we gave both John and Daniel the best opportunity to talk with the other clubs about contracts for the coming season,” Chief Executive Officer Ian Smythe said.
“Clubs will be able to register player contracts commencing next week and it would be unfair of us not to advise the players at the first opportunity of our intentions.” Smythe added. “Up until today there were some uncertainties that prevented me from advising the players of our intentions,” Smythe said. “I am sorry that I was unable to do so beforehand but the circumstances were unavoidable, given the long and protracted process involved with the new league.
Ian Smythe acknowledged that the decision to go down this path was not taken lightly and was one of the most difficult decisions the club had had to make. “Both Daniel and John have been an integral part of our program over the past seasons” Smythe stated, “but with the changes in the NBL, we have made the decision to take the club in a different direction for the future.”
“John has been one of the games greatest players and showed last year that he still has a lot to offer the game and the league” Smythe said “but looking to the future we need to give some of our younger players the opportunity to develop.”
“Daniel has also been a great contributor to the game and the league over all of his years in the NBL “Smythe added. “ When Daniel arrived here from Brisbane he had a lot to prove and he has not let the fans down,” Smythe said.
“I would likely to publicly acknowledge the great work that both these players have done for the Crocs and as ambassadors for the game and wish them all the success in the future,” Smythe said.
“It is never easy to let players go that have contributed to the club in so many ways,” Smythe went onto say “but we have to look to the future and making the hard decisions is part of that process.” “We have said from the beginning that we expected to be a part of the National League for many years to come and building a competitive side is a key component for this to occur.”
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
The Basketball Jones
A few months back John Rillie was talking up coming after The Basketball Jones in the world of podcasting. Today I stumbled across some funny stuff from the guys at TBJ with a "behind the scenes" video of how they prepare for their show.
DJ Rod, JR ... time to step up to the plate and give us a behind the scenes look at The OT. Show us the "card table", show us the "dodgy american accent chick" (no offence Heidi) and whatever else goes on up there in far north Queensland.
I think the challenge has been laid down ... and I'm hoping its better than the rubbish Aaron Bruce HORSE challenge. Aaron, where you at? One shot and you're done? Kids not in the same league anyway, who is he to challenge JR?? Rookie.
Click on the title below to check out the video clip from the guys at The Basketball Jones.
Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sports
Video: Behind-the-scenes of 'The Basketball Jones'
By J.E. Skeets
We get a lot of email at The Basketball Jones asking how Tas and I prepare for the show. (That's a complete lie.) Do we watch the games together? (Rarely.) Do we take notes? (Um, have you actually seen the podcast?) Are our heads buried in laptops, tweeting and live blogging? (Yes ... and yes.)
So, to ignore the parentheses and really answer your questions, we produced a short behind-the-scenes video, inviting you in to watch a game with us. Please, keep your shoes on.
Dont click on the pic, click on the title above to see the video
DJ Rod, JR ... time to step up to the plate and give us a behind the scenes look at The OT. Show us the "card table", show us the "dodgy american accent chick" (no offence Heidi) and whatever else goes on up there in far north Queensland.
I think the challenge has been laid down ... and I'm hoping its better than the rubbish Aaron Bruce HORSE challenge. Aaron, where you at? One shot and you're done? Kids not in the same league anyway, who is he to challenge JR?? Rookie.
Click on the title below to check out the video clip from the guys at The Basketball Jones.
Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sports
Video: Behind-the-scenes of 'The Basketball Jones'
By J.E. Skeets
We get a lot of email at The Basketball Jones asking how Tas and I prepare for the show. (That's a complete lie.) Do we watch the games together? (Rarely.) Do we take notes? (Um, have you actually seen the podcast?) Are our heads buried in laptops, tweeting and live blogging? (Yes ... and yes.)
So, to ignore the parentheses and really answer your questions, we produced a short behind-the-scenes video, inviting you in to watch a game with us. Please, keep your shoes on.
Dont click on the pic, click on the title above to see the video
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