Hoops Heaven's Basketball Hustle – #NBL24 Episode 21

Two weeks to go in #NBL24 and Simon Mitchell breaks it down on Hoops Heaven's Basketball Hustle and makes the big calls on who will make the top six with Brisbane Bullets to miss out while he maintains hope for the New Zealand Breakers despite losing Anthony Lamb.

Two big wins has Simon Mitchell high on the Tasmania JackJumpers' prospects for the rest of 2024 as he names Will Magnay his #TheGalen Best NBL Team Man while is concerned for the Perth Wildcats and feels they need to focus on much more than so-called physicality on Bryce Cotton.

Round 19 #NBL24 TABtouch Preview sees Simon Mitchell predict Adelaide 36ers to all but end Brisbane Bullets' season largely because of the lack of support for Nathan Sobey while he hopes Sunday is a preview of a play-in Illawarra Hawks-Sydney Kings match up.

For all the ways to listen click here: https://linktr.ee/basketballhustle

We add to our fight night discussion from last week adding a mismatch in height and weight between Will Magnay and Tahjere McCall, but Simon Mitchell isn’t too keen on Jesse Wagstaff against Finn Delany.

The New Zealand Breakers put together a brilliant performance to beat the Perth Wildcats with Simon Mitchell labelling it a coaching masterclass from Mody Maor while loving the work of Parker Jackson-Cartwright but acknowledging it's going to be tough now for them without Anthony Lamb.

Simon Mitchell saw some concerning signs from the Perth Wildcats and didn't like the whinging about the so-called physicality directed at Bryce Cotton. He also labelled their defensive transition an abomination and needs to see more from them over the last two weeks.

The Tasmania JackJumpers put together two impressive wins to all but end the seasons of the Taipans and 36ers with Simon Mitchell suitably impressed with a team he feels can challenge the top two. He likes Milton Doyle with the ball in his hands, the career-best season of Jack McVeigh and the others stepping up including Clint Steindl and Sean Macdonald.

We talk about the Illawarra Hawks and while Simon Mitchell isn’t totally sold just yet, he hopes Justin Tatum's team finishes in the top four and is impressed especially with Wani Swaka Lo Buluk's defence and the all-round production Gary Clark is giving them now.

Simon Mitchell casts his eye over the Brisbane Bullets and he's just not seeing a second go-to option behind Nathan Sobey with Casey Prather not yet quite up to it, and he's given up hope of Shannon Scott or Chris Smith doing that. However, he does see this as a building season for them to set them up for future success.

Simon Mitchell gives his thoughts on last Saturday night's Throwdown where he felt both teams would have been reasonably happy with Melbourne United comfortably winning and getting through unscathed. South East Melbourne Phoenix competed hard too despite how shorthanded they were.

We then follow up our Run Home discussion from last week and while we rule out the South East Melbourne Phoenix, Cairns Taipans and Adelaide 36ers, Simon Mitchell runs his rule over the rest of the teams in the finals race. He predicts Melbourne United to finish at 20-8, Perth Wildcats 18-10, Tasmania JackJumpers 16-12, and then all of the Illawarra Hawks, Sydney Kings, New Zealand Breakers and Brisbane Bullets at 13-15.

Simon Mitchell selects his winner of #TheGalen Best NBL Team Man for Round 18 as well and it's going to Tasmania JackJumpers centre Will Magnay for the toughness he showed and what he delivered for his team in the wins against Cairns and Adelaide.

We then go into the TABtouch Preview for Round 19 with six big matches highlighted by the New Zealand Breakers v Illawarra Hawks on Friday and then finishing off with what Simon Mitchell hopes is a play-in game preview between the Sydney Kings and the Hawks.

Simon Mitchell also finishes off by asking for some more transparency into how the NBL comes into their disciplinary findings after the incidents involving Tahjere McCall and Will Magnay from Round 18.

All made possible thanks to the support of Hoops Heaven (www.hoopsheaven.com.au) and TABtouch (www.tabtouch.com.au).