Seven players to watch in Sal’s NBL Showdown
IT is hard to believe after so much time away from the court across the globe, that professional basketball is back tomorrow with the first night of a huge six-week season for the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL). The 2020 Sal’s NBL Showdown tips off and there will be no slowing down until August, […]
2020 Canterbury Rams season preview: Team effort required after star big man goes down
A POST-DRAFT injury to first round selection and premier New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL) big man, Jack Salt has the Canterbury Rams having to rethink their 2020 Sal’s NBL Showdown plans. Reports came through on Wednesday via Salt’s management on social media that Salt had injured his knee during training and would miss a […]
2020 Manawatu Jets season preview: Sharks duo to provide bite
USING their first two picks to select a Southland Sharks duo for the upcoming New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL) season, Manawatu Jets are looking to rise up the ladder in 2020. After a last placed finish which saw them win just the two games in 2019, the Jets are hoping to fly high in […]
2020 Taranaki Mountainairs season preview: Airs pick up late gems to complement elite scorers
TARANAKI Mountainairs knew they would not have to wait long to enter last week’s 2020 Sal’s National Basketball League (NBL) Player Draft, holding the second overall pick ahead of the upcoming New Zealand NBL season. They used that pick on Derone Raukawa, a player Airs’ Chairman Laine Hopkinson described as “the best point guard in […]
2020 Otago Nuggets season preview: Nuggets strike gold with two “pick one” choices
OTAGO Nuggets head coach Brent Matehaere could hardly believe his luck when star talent Jarrod Kenny was still available at pick 14 in the 2020 New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL) Player Draft last week. Having considered Kenny for the first overall pick they had, Matehaere said the Nuggets ultimately opted for Jordan Ngatai. “When […]
2020 Auckland Huskies season preview: Blend of experience and youth to set the court alight
RETURNING for their second season in the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL), the Auckland Huskies have put together a team ready to compete. From the 37-year-old Rashid Al-Kareem down to the teenage future star of Taine Murray, the Huskies have plenty to like about their 2020 Sal’s NBL Showdown list. Entering the draft last […]
2020 Nelson Giants season preview: Triple threat Giants excited about depth
MUCH talk has been about Nelson Giants’ top three players snared in the recent 2020 Sal’s National Basketball League (NBL) Player Draft, but it is the depth in the final few rounds that head coach Mike Fitchett is just as excited about. Mika Vukona, Mike Karena and Dane Brooks have joined forces for a formidable […]
Syndicate buys Illawarra Hawks licence
A SYNDICATE of three passionate basketball businessmen were awarded the Illawarra Hawks licence for the 2020/21 National Basketball League (NBL) season and beyond. In one of the biggest talking points of the NBL off-season, it was at one stage rumoured that future NBA star LaMelo Ball was set to buy the Hawks after representing them […]
2020 Franklin Bulls season preview: Twin towers lead Bulls in first NZNBL campaign
TEAM chemistry is the key to success according to Franklin Bulls’ head coach Liam Simmons who is ready to hit the court for the Bulls’ inaugural season in the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL). The 2020 Sal’s NBL Showdown is less than a week away from tip-off, and the Bulls have selected their 12-player […]
Top 5 NZNBL games to watch: Week 1
BASKETBALL fans need to wait just one more week for the first tip-off of the 2020 Sal’s National Basketball League (NBL) Showdown. Whilst all 10 games will undoubtedly be popular, we have picked out five that might have some extra meaning to them and should be put in the calendar. 1 The Opening Tip-Off – […]
2020 Sal’s NBL Team-by-team lists
THE 2020 Sal’s National Basketball League (NBL) Showdown is ready and raring to go with all seven teams not having completed their lists for the upcoming season. The Player Draft was completed last Thursday, and while three days of Trade Period did not not see a move made, a couple of players had to change […]
College restrictions force two NZNBL player swaps
TWO players initially drafted in last Thursday’s New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL) Player Draft have been replaced by their respective teams due to college basketball restrictions. Taranaki Mountainairs’ Will Heather and Manawatu Jets’ Tom Power have both been ruled of the 2020 Sal’s NBL season due to their respective colleges wanting to hold them […]
