NBL opens in Tassie
JACKJUMPERS DEBUT AGAINST HUNGRY ADELAIDE SIDE
ADELAIDE’S quest to end the club’s 19-year championship drought will start with a historic first-round match-up against the NBL’s debutants, the Tasmania JackJumpers.
The 36ers haven’t won a title since 2002 but the franchise has high hopes heading into the 2021-22 season.
New Adelaide coach CJ Bruton is accustomed to winning, having won six NBL championships as a player.
Bruton is determined to transfer his success to the head coaching ranks in a strong 36ers side featuring a standout marquee signing in championship-winning Melbourne United guard Mitch McCarron.
Adelaide take on the JackJumpers at MyState Bank Arena (formerly the Derwent Entertainment Centre) on December 3.
Filipino superstar Kai Sotto will also debut for the Adelaide 36ers.
It comes as the NBL will be split into two conferences to start the season for the first time in 37 years as the league aims to maximise fans seeing live games.
In a historic move to navigate the coronavirus pandemic, teams will be placed into the conferences with the delayed season to start on December 3.
Tasmania, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, and Cairns will be grouped together in Conference A.
The two Melbourne teams – United and Phoenix – as well as Sydney, Illawarra and New Zealand are linked in Conference B.
Those conferences will be used until December 20 when the JackJumpers move to Conference B because of a venue availability issue.
The Breakers will need to relocate to Tasmania but are expected to be able to head home to NZ in January.
The NBL last used a conference system in 1984 when there were 17 teams.
NBL commissioner Jeremy Loeliger is positive that the league can return to a normal home-and-away season, most likely early in 2022.
“We are confident that as the country opens back up,
our schedule will open up with it and we will get back to running the competition like we used to with all teams playing and travelling from their home bases,” Loeliger said.
“There are a lot of factors to consider, and we’ve tried to plan for them all, so as some or all of those various events unfold and begin to materialise, we will enter a different phase of the schedule and certain things change as a result and as we deem necessary.
“While it’s only a few weeks later than we originally planned, the new start date gives us a greater level of comfort and flexibility as we navigate through the current environment and prioritise having our growing number
of fans in stadiums around the country and in New Zealand.
“The NBL is a fan-first product and playing in front of crowds is vital for the league and our clubs.”
All 10 NBL teams will play four practice games within their respective conferences before the season starts.
Headlined by Matthew Dellavedova’s debut, Melbourne United begins its championship defence without grand final MVP Jock Landale, now with the NBA’s San Antonio, on December 5 against arch rival Sydney.
The Perth Wildcats’ quest to make a 36th straight finals series begins on December 4 when they host the Brisbane Bullets.