MELBOURNE (Paulo Kennedy’s View from Downunder) – I wanted to write an article called ‘Making basketball work’ this week, looking at the overall issues facing our sport, bigger than NBL clubs struggling financially but inextricably linked.

But remember the grand finals? Less than two weeks ago the NBL and WNBL seasons finished in intense fashion and that deserves a bit of recognition, so ‘Making basketball work’ can wait another week.

An interesting chat on social media this week looked at a hypothetical game between the NBL champion New Zealand Breakers and the NCAA juggernaut that is the University of Kentucky.

Some pundits felt the Breakers’ wealth of experience at club and international level, combined with the chemistry they have developed over a number of years would be too much for the Kentucky youngsters.

Others felt the pure talent and athleticism of Devin Booker, Karl-Anthony Towns, the Harrisons and Co would simply overpower the New Zealanders.

Personally I think it would be a bit of both and result in a superb contest.

Cedric the experienced
One great example of experience trumping youth was in the recent NBL Grand Final, where New Zealand produced a comprehensive road display to take Game 1 in Cairns, then Nigerian international Ekene Ibekwe hit a stunning buzzer-beater in Game 2 to secure the 2-0 sweep.

One of the key battles was import point guards Cedric Jackson and Scottie Wilbekin, who joined the Taipans this season straight out of the University of Florida.

Wilbekin was a star in the post-season, leading the Gators past Kentucky in the SEC Tournament final and then all the way to the Final Four, his 23 points in the Elite Eight one for the ages.

But come the NBL Grand Final the 29-year-old Jackson went to a level Wilbekin couldn’t match, producing 37 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists across the two games – with just three turnovers – while restricting his opponent to 8-of-29 from the field and locking him up down the stretch of Game 2.

Corey the patient
While Wilbekin was inefficient, Corey Webster was anything but. Having made his mark at the World Cup with huge games against Turkey and Lithuania, C-Web raised his NBL average from 8.5ppg in 13/14 to 15.3 this season, cracking the league’s top 10 scorers.

It’s no secret Webster can create his own shot, but in the grand final series Cairns’ defence was locked into him for the most part.

But rather than force it, Webster simply played his role, taking almost five less shot attempts per game than the rest of the season, and stepping up with some key baskets and assists when the opportunity presented.

It was another big step forward in the evolution of a potential scoring superstar.

Abercrombie grows again
  Tom Abercrombieis a bit further down that path of efficiency than his long-time buddy, and the way he played this season was ultra-impressive to anyone watching closely.

You could almost count on one hand the bad decisions the 1.98m jumping jack made on one hand, and that’s both ends of the floor - his defence going to a new level this season and his 47 per cent three-point shooting deadly.

Best of all, when the Breakers needed a go-to man in Game 2, the 27-year-old stood up with a string of tough jumpers that were as important as any in delivering New Zealand’s fourth title in five years.

A tough job done well
The reffing crews from both games did a good job walking the tightrope between letting the players play finals basketball and keeping a grip on the physicality.

While the refs received plenty of negative press for the 2013 Grand Final and last season’s Game 3 decider, the reality is those were the exceptions rather than the rule.

When Australia’s best refs get together for the NBL playoffs they did a good job more often than not.

Brown put in a tough spot
In contrast, there was plenty of whistle-blowing controversy in the WNBL Grand Final in Townsville, with locally-based referee Scott Brown calling two highly-questionable fouls on Bendigo star Kelsey Griffin in the opening minutes of the game.

I can’t for the life of me understand why the WNBL would put a Townsville referee on this game, it simply opens up the door for their integrity to be questioned.

I’ve never heard of Australian refs acting out of the spirit of the game, and have no reason to believe it happened here, but perception is some people’s reality, and I’m flabbergasted those two game-changing calls were made and astonished Brown was in the position to make them in the first place.

On Fire
Thankfully Townsville were clear winners, converting their regular-season dominance to the season decider. The Fire lost just one game at home, routinely blowing teams out after half-time, but in this game they made their move in an overpowering second quarter.

While some downplay coach Chris Lucas’ achievement because of the talent on the roster, the fact is Townsville didn’t just blow teams away with talent, they consistently shut opponents down defensively, and that has a lot to do with coaching.

To get a team of talented scorers to buy-in so unanimously to his high-pressure schemes is a massive tick for Lucas.

Farewell fierce friends
Another big reason the Fire’s defence was so good was retiring point guard Rachael McCully.

Coming from an Aussie rules football background, it’s no surprise I love players like Damian Martin, Mika Vukona and Anthony Petrie who play hoops with such a high level of intensity.

McCully surely belongs in that group, and so do Adelaide pair Jenni Screen and Jess Foley, who also both hung up the boots at season’s end.

An AFL premiership coach who’s enjoyed outstanding success in the coaching business told me Screen would have made a great footballer and it’s hard to argue, while it’s hard to imagine Foley and McCully shirking to many contests either!

Paulo Kennedy

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