With the HUMMER Championship season at the midway point, NBL statistician Mark Slocombe takes a look at the form guide for each team at the half way stage.

With 97 of the 195 games played, we couldn’t be any closer to the half-way point of the season and it’s time to take a look at what’s in the store in the second half for each of the teams.

Sydney Kings (13 wins, 2 losses): Have a healthy break on the rest of the competition and have the bonus of already holding season splits on Melbourne and Brisbane with one more game against the Tigers at home. The Kings also have a strong run at home with 8 of their last 13 at ‘The Kingdome’ and also have a run of just five of their final 13 matches against teams currently inside the top eight. It seems all the hard work has already been done for the Kings.

Melbourne Tigers (9 wins, 4 losses): The Grand Finalists from the past two seasons are facing their worst losing streak for five years after opening the year with nine straight victories. After averaging 102 points per game over their winning run, the Tigers scoring well is running dry at just 88 per game – ranking just ahead of the Hawks (84.8) over the last four games. After a relatively quiet few weeks on the schedule, Melbourne will have to crank it up through the busy Christmas-New Year’s period with seven games in 21 days, including trips to Brisbane, a return visit to Perth and their only trip to Sydney. After that run, six of their final nine games will be against teams currently outside the top eight.

Brisbane Bullets (10 wins, 5 losses): The defending champs started with five straight wins but have split their ten games since, including a shock loss to Singapore last start. Brisbane however was also 10 and 5 last season before going on a League-record 21-game winning streak that resulted in a championship. Their scoring is up four points a game from last year but they are giving away over seven points more also. Nine of the Bullets next ten games will be in Queensland, which includes a trip to Cairns on New Year’s Eve, and with just three home games in the next 26 days since the Slingers game, Brisbane may still have time to get through a vital time without star Sam Mackinnon.

New Zealand Breakers (9 wins, 6 losses): Currently look a certainty to make the playoffs for the first time in their fifth season. Need three more wins to equal the franchise-high 12 they won in their first season. In their first four seasons they lost at least 20 games each year but have dropped just six so far. They still have to play Sydney three times, Melbourne twice and Brisbane away. After this round, nine of their last 14 are on the road but they are a healthy 3-3 so far away from Auckland this year.

Gold Coast Blaze (9 wins, 7 losses): On the up-side, the League’s newest franchise has exceeded all expectations and may be the first expansion team to have a winning record in their debut season since the Geelong Supercats in 1982. The statistics say though that the Gold Coast have won eight from nine games against teams in the bottom five places on the ladder so far and just one from seven against top eight teams. The Blaze have home games to come against the Dragons (11th) and Slingers (13th) before a tough five-game schedule in 15 days that ends with games in Auckland and Perth. Four road wins to date have come against the bottom four teams. Eleven of their last twelve games are against top eight teams, which will be a major test for the fledgling franchise.

Perth Wildcats (7 wins, 6 losses): The boys from the west have hovered around the .500 mark all season and have struggled for consistency, highlighted by last week’s impressive win over top side Sydney followed by a loss to Townsville who were ranked ninth at the time. Perth are the only team that have beaten both the Kings and Tigers, but lost twice to the Bullets and have not yet played fourth-placed New Zealand or fifth placed Gold Coast. On the negative, they are the only team to lose this year to the two bottom teams in Wollongong and Singapore. Definitely a team whose fortunes will be hard to predict for the second half but a 22nd straight trip to the playoffs should be a gimme.

Cairns Taipans (8 wins, 7 losses): Another team whose form is hard to read, although injuries have hit them harder than any other team especially a season ending one to Martin Cattalini. Cairns have not won consecutive matches since round three when they won four games to open their year. They have won just four of their past eleven matches but all were by at least 17 points, including 22 over Brisbane and 25 against New Zealand. Despite being in the top eight all year, Cairns remain the league’s lowest scoring team at just over 95 per game. The Taipans came from outside the top four to make the Semi Finals in both of the last two seasons and may be looking forward to the same challenge this year.

Townsville Crocodiles (9 wins, 8 losses): The loss of gun forward Rosell Ellis after just two games hit the club hard but the recent addition of replacement guard Corey Williams could be a blessing in disguise, with the Crocs one of the form teams of the competition with six wins in their past seven starts. Seven of their nine wins have come against clubs in the bottom five but impressive wins against the Tigers and Wildcats, and a courageous loss to the Bullets in Brisbane, have shown they can compete with the elite. Perth next round is the only top eight game they have outside Queensland for the rest of the season and they enjoy eight more games at ‘The Swamp’ where they have a five-game winning streak to build upon. It’s looking like back-to-back trips to the playoffs for the first time in eight years for Townsville.

West Sydney Razorbacks (7 wins, 8 losses): For a team that could manage just five wins in the last two years, seven victories to the half way point has been a significant improvement. A fresh influx of youth has been a revelation for the franchise in its tenth season and at 106 points per game – second highest in the HUMMER Championship – the team is giving its fans value for money. Although they currently reside in ninth position, the Razorbacks have beaten every team above them that they have played so far, except for the Crocs (slim losses by two and three points). However they are a surprising 2-4 currently against the four teams below them on the table. West Sydney have lost their past five road games and still have to take trips to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, New Zealand and Cairns and Perth (in Darwin). The Razorbacks are still in the chase for a top eight place.

Adelaide 36ers (6 wins, 8 losses): It was surprise when the Sixers missed the playoffs last year for the first time under Phil Smyth but it will be a challenge for the team to progress again in his tenth season. Brett Maher’s absence has been crucial and the team just hasn’t found the right combinations. The Sixers are yet to lose a game to a team outside the current top eight (five-from-five) but have just one win and eight losses against the elite with the sole victory coming at home against the Breakers. The road continues to be a problem with just one win against bottom team Singapore to show and nine away games to follow. Of the seven home games to play, the Sixers host Sydney twice, the Tigers, Bullets, Perth, Cairns and Singapore. The last time the Sixers missed the playoffs in consecutive years was 1982-83.

South Dragons (4 wins, 11 losses): At the same stage in their debut season, the Dragons were 6 wins and 9 losses and finished with 15 wins from 34 starts and a finals berth. One concern by the Dragons has been a less than impressive 3-6 home record, with two of those wins against the bottom two teams in Wollongong and Singapore. One road win (vs West Sydney) from six away games also doesn’t inspire confidence when they have nine more road games on the schedule – especially given seven of those are against top eight teams. The Dragons have not been able to string three wins together in its short history and have to win 11 of its next 15 to get back to a .500 record.

Wollongong Hawks (3 wins, 11 losses): The return last week to the Hawks line up of Mat Campbell after a seven-game absence is one of the few highlights of the season for the team who are suffering a current seven-game losing streak. After hosting the Slingers this round, Wollongong has a three-game road fixture to Sydney, New Zealand and Townsville and then oddly play the same three teams at home in reverse order before a trip to Singapore. The Hawks do have nine more home games to come where they have had two healthy wins against the Razorbacks (by 23) and the Wildcats (17).

Singapore Slingers (3 wins, 14 losses): Singapore’s season grew an extra leg with their first-ever win over Brisbane last round, and by an impressive 17 points to boot. The equation at home is an easy one for the Slingers. In three games they have scored 100 points in Singapore and they have won all three (against top eight teams in Brisbane, Perth and Townsville). On the road however they are the only team that remain winless and they have five of their next six away from the Lion City before finishing with five from seven at home, including matches against the four teams directly above them.

GOLD COAST BLAZE VS SOUTH DRAGONS

Wednesday December 5 – Gold Coast Convention Centre

All time: Blaze 1, Dragons 0
At this venue: Not played
2008 Meetings: Round 9 – Blaze 99 def Dragons 79 at Vodafone

Back in Round Nine at Vodafone Arena, the Blaze led the Dragons by five at half time but blew them away with a 46-31 second half to record a 20-point win. The Blaze starters out-scored the home side 90-45 with Hendrix (3 points) and Holmes (5 points) restricted to poor games. For the Blaze, Pero Cameron hit five triples for the first time in his career while Hawkins and Crowe posted 21 points each.

The South Dragons play their 50th NBL match in this one and to date they have recorded 19 wins and 30 losses. Their greatest win to date was by 25 against the Slingers in January last year and the worst loss was by 32 to Brisbane in December last year. Last week’s 29 point drubbing in Cairns was the clubs second-worst ever.

Most games for the Dragons:
49 – Jacob Holmes, Joe Ingles
44 – Shane Heal
43 – Matt Shanahan
42 – Brent Hobba

Jacob Holmes plays his 200th NBL match and Joe Ingles plays his 50th with both players not having missed a match since joining the Dragons. Holmes played his first five seasons in Adelaide and has a career-best 28 against the Sixers last season while grabbing a career-best 20 rebounds at the Sixers in Round 9. Ingles scored his career-high in the first game he ever played (29 points) in Auckland and twice this year has had 10 assists in a match. Ingles has improved his scoring from 15.3 to 15.9 while upping his assists 3.0 to 5.5 and rebounding 4.9 last year to 6.7 this year.

For the Blaze, Daniel Joyce plays his 50th NBL game. Joyce has slightly increased his scoring from last season and last week scored a season-high 13 against Adelaide.

Last week against Cairns, the Dragons were called for three technical fouls which was the worst for any team in a game this season and now means that New Zealand are the only team that has not been called for a tech this year. So far, just 29 techs have been blown in 97 matches, way down on last year’s record tally of 116 for the season. Last year, Sydney was the league leader in techs with 16 and this year they again lead the list with seven – four more than the next highest.

Technical fouls this year:
7 – Sydney
3 – Brisbane, Cairns, South, Wollongong
2 – Gold Coast, Singapore, West Sydney
1 – Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth, Townsville

WOLLONGONG HAWKS VS SINGAPORE SLINGERS

Wednesday December 5 – Wollongong Entertainment Centre

All time: Hawks 1, Slingers 2
At this venue: Hawks 0, Slingers 2
2008 Meetings: Round 17 @ Singapore

This is the first non-Friday night game for the Hawks for the season and is one of three midweek fixtures with the next being a visit from Glen Saville and the Kings on Wednesday 9th January and a match against Cairns on Wednesday 13th February.

The Hawks have lost their past six games and the last three losses have been by 21 to the Breakers, 23 to Perth and 22 to the Blaze. Since 1979, Wollongong have lost three consecutive games by at least 20 points just once in its history and that was the disappointing 2005 Grand Final series when they were flattened by the Kings by 23, 25 and 27.

Last season these teams met three times, with the away team winning all three. In October, Wollongong won in Asia 105-87. In December the Slingers came to the ‘Gong and won easily, 110-84, and repeated the dose in February, 96-93.

Gordie McLeod has won his last three games as coach visiting Wollongong and has a 10-13 record as coach against the Hawks. McLeod was a member of the first-ever Wollongong team in the NBL back in March 1979, when they defeated the St Kilda Saints in their debut game, 91-88, at the old ‘Snakepit’.

NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS VS SYDNEY KINGS

Thursday December 6 – North Shore Events Centre

All time: Breakers 2, Kings 10
At this venue: Breakers 0, Kings 3
2008 Meetings: Round 15 @ Sydney; Round 22 @ Sydney

The Breakers are six from nine at home this year, including six from their last seven. Overall New Zealand have won five of their last six games but in their past two games they have won just one quarter. Last week against the Dragons, the Breakers lost the first by two, the third by eight and the last by three but a 16-point advantage in the second was enough to see them home by 3.

Year by year wins by the Breakers:
2004: 12 wins, 21 losses
2005: 9 wins, 23 losses
2006: 9 wins, 23 losses
2007: 11 wins, 22 losses
2008: 9 wins, 6 losses

Orien Greene will become the 43rd player and 12th import to suit up for the Breakers when he makes his debut against the Kings.

Breaker Imports:
Iona Enosa – debut Oct 03 with 7 points; played 28 games
Mike Chappell – debut Dec 03 with 22 points; played 52 games
Shawn Redhage – debut Sep 04 with 27 points; played 13 games
Brant Bailey – debut Sep 05 with 22 points; played 19 games
Rich Melzer – debut Sep 05 with 19 points; played 25 games
Brian Green – debut Nov 05 with 12 points; played 17 games
Brian Wethers – debut Sep 06 with 31 points; played 22 games
Carlos Powell – debut Sep 06 with 34 points; played 33 games
Pierre Wooten – debut Jan 07 with 0 points; played 9 games
Wayne Turner – debut Sep 07 with 15 points; played 11 games
Rick Rickert – debut Sep 07 with 19 points; played 13 games to date

Oscar Forman is playing game number 200 after spending his first five years at Adelaide and has played in all 48 games the Breakers have participated in the past two seasons (alongside Mika Vukona). With 107 triples, Forman is the fourth best long bomber by aggregates for the Breakers behind Olson (298), Chappell (139) and Jones (110) but has the second best percentage overall at 39.7%.

Russell Hinder is playing his 50th game with the Kings. Hinder has played 178 games overall for the Razorbacks and Pirates previously and has a top score of 27, twice for Hunter. This year he has scored in double-figures just three times with 14 vs Bullets his season high.

If the Kings can get over the Breakers, Jason Smith and BJ Carter will both be playing in their 100th win for the club.

Most Kings winning teams:
134 – Matt Nielsen
130 – Brad Sheridan
115 – Damien Keogh
106 – Tim Morrissey
99 – Mark Dalton
99 – Jason Smith
99 – BJ Carter
86 – Shane Heal

BRISBANE BULLETS VS WEST SYDNEY RAZORBACKS

Friday December 7 – Brisbane Convention Centre

All time: Bullets 14, Razorbacks 11
At this venue: Bullets 8, Razorbacks 4
2008 Meetings: Round 15 @ State Sports Centre

The Bullets have a seven-game winning streak going against the Razorbacks. Prior to that run West Sydney had beaten Brisbane in seven of eight meetings.

This will be a matchup between the two highest scoring teams in the league with Brisbane averaging 112.7 per game just ahead of West Sydney on 105.9 ppg.

Dillon Boucher is playing NBL game number 150. Boucher played his first two seasons at the Breakers before spending 2006 with Perth and is in his second season in Brisbane. Boucher’s career-high of 18 points came against the Giants in the Breakers biggest-ever NBL win at MSAC in Melbourne.

MELBOURNE TIGERS VS PERTH WILDCATS

Saturday December 8 – State Netball and Hockey Centre

All time: Tigers 32, Wildcats 42
At this venue: Tigers 9, Wildcats 2
2008 Meetings: Round 10 – Wildcats 103 def Tigers 85 @ Perth; Round 15 @ Perth

The Tigers have won their past six home games against the Wildcats. Perth’s last win in Melbourne was by 102-101 in February 2005.

In their last meeting at Challenge Stadium in Round Ten, Perth led Melbourne by as many as 25 points before recording an 18-point win, with Shawn Redhage leading the charge with 20 points. David Barlow led the Tigers with 19 points – he and Anstey have led the Tigers scoring in 12 of their 13 games played.

David Barlow is playing NBL game number 100. This year Barlow is averaging a career-best 17 points per game after returning from a knee injury 14 games into last season with Sydney, when he was posting 15.6 ppg.

CAIRNS TAIPANS VS WEST SYDNEY RAZORBACKS

Saturday December 8 – Cairns Convention Centre

All time: Taipans 9, Razorbacks 16
At this venue: Taipans 7, Razorbacks 6
2008 Meetings: Round 7 – Razorbacks 97 def Taipans 95 @ State Sports Centre; Round 13 @ State Sports Centre

The Taipans have won five straight against the Razorbacks at home but West Sydney squeezed a two-point win back in Round Seven at ‘The Pigpen’. Darnell Hinson was the standout player on the court with 31 points, helping his team come back from an 11-point deficit early in the third to win. In that game, the Razorbacks kept Stephen Black to a season-low six-points and Nathan Jawai to a season-low eight points.

The Taipans 29-point win over the Dragons last round was the club’s fourth-largest in history and biggest for almost three seasons. Their 40-point opening quarter was their second-best ever behind a 43-point opening against the Hawks in Dec 2005 and equal third-highest ever.

Biggest ever Taipans victories:
43 – vs Pirates Jan 04
37 – vs Pirates Nov 03
35 – vs Cannons Feb 03
29 – vs Dragons Dec 07
28 – vs Wildcats Dec 03

Last round, the Razorbacks scored 118 points against the Sixers but still lost the game. It was the club’s third-highest ever losing score behind the 126 posted against Townsville earlier this season and 121 scored against Wollongong last season.

Aaron Grabau needs one more win to be the first Taipan to be part of 100 victories for the club. Grabau has missed just six victories through injuries in his 258 games with the franchise.

Most wins for the Taipans:
99 – Aaron Grabau
93 – Anthony Stewart
69 – Kane Oakley
53 – Gary Boodnikoff
49 – Darnell Mee

ADELAIDE 36ERS VS SYDNEY KINGS

Saturday December 8 – Distinctive Homes Dome

All time: Sixers 30, Kings 22
At this venue: Sixers 16, Kings 6
2008 Meetings: Round 6 – Kings 100 def Sixers 82 @ Sydney

The Kings have not been to Adelaide since September 2006 where they won 122-115 in overtime after scores were tied at 109 after four quarters. In that match, King Mark Worthington scored a career-best 34 points, including a dominating 19 points in the second quarter alone.

Sixers coach Phil Smyth will celebrate his 350th game in this one and so far he has recorded 197 wins and 152 losses. This is the 46th time he has coached against Brian Goorjian, with the Kings coach holding a 26-19 winning advantage.

Most NBL games coached:
674 – Brian Goorjian
651 – Lindsay Gaze
462 – Alan Black
456 – Brian Kerle
388 – Brendan Joyce
369 – Bob Turner
349 – Phil Smyth
347 – Barry Barnes

Of the 13 most experienced coaches in NBL history, despite Smyth winning three Championships, he remains the only man in that list to not have been awarded a Coach of the Year award.

Adam Ballinger is playing NBL game number 150 after playing 33 games for Victoria and three seasons and 102 games at the Hawks. In Round Nine, Ballinger posted a new career-high of 42 points against the Dragons and is currently leading Adelaide in points (20.2) and rebounds (7.5 per game).

TOWNSVILLE CROCODILES VS SINGAPORE SLINGERS

Saturday December 8 – Townsville Entertainment Centre

All time: Crocodiles 4, Slingers 2
At this venue: Crocodiles 4, Slingers 2
2008 Meetings: Round 3 – Slingers 101 def Crocs 86 @ Singapore; Round 9 – Crocs 110 def Slingers 98 @ Townsville

The Slingers have not been closer than 12 points in four visits to ‘The Swamp’. In those meetings, Townsville have averaged 119 points while Singapore have averaged 98 in the same contests. Back in November, the Crocs led by 24 at halftime against Singapore before losing the second half, 57-45.

There is no doubt that Singapore rely on their imports more than most teams and the stats reflect this, with Helms and Grizzard combining for an average of 55 points per game in their three wins but just 39 per game in their losses.

Grizzard in particular has enjoyed his matches against the Crocs, with his top two scores of the year coming against the Crocs with 32 in the Slingers win back in October and 28 in the loss at The Swamp the following month. Mike Helms has not had the same success with a season-low of 10 coming against the Crocs