Defence letting the side down
The Otago Nuggets have nine games remaining to salvage what they can for the NBL season. But first they need to play some defence, writes sports reporter Adrian Seconi in his mid-term report. The good
This should be brief, but the Nuggets have shown some potential.
However, with three wins from 12 games, there is more material for the other two categories.
Arguably their two best performances were recorded in the losses column.
They were edged 97-94 by the Auckland Tuatara in Dunedin on April 6.
That game appeared to be heading for a blowout win for the visitors.
But the Nuggets fought admirably and even had a late chance to win it.
Don Carey jun poured in 29 points and Jose Perez muscled his way inside for 24 points.
The Nuggets have no trouble scoring when those two are firing.
Jaylen Sebree (13 points, 12 rebounds) and Jonathan Janssen (14 points) chipped in and they ran a classy team very close.
They pushed the defending champion Canterbury Rams into overtime in Christchurch later that month.
Had they won those two games then the season might be shaping up differently.
They could have used them as a springboard for a more confident display against the Nelson Giants, which was a must-win game that got away from them.
Carey (22.3 points and 6.4 assists) is in the top 10 in the league for average points and average assists per game.
Jose Perez (20.8 points) is also in the top 10 for average points and has been the Nuggets' most productive rebounder. The bad
The KPIs will not please the investors.
The statistics mostly match what you might expect from a team on a seven-game losing streak and a couple of spots off the bottom of the competition standings.
The Nuggets' last win was against the Indian Panthers in Auckland on April 4.
There have been a couple of near-misses since then, but close losses do not improve your win percentage.
Otago started the campaign reasonably. They had three wins in their first five games.
But their defence opens wider than Winston Peters' mouth on immigration issues.
The Nuggets concede more points per game (96.8) than any other team other than the Panthers.
If you have to score 97 points to win a game of basketball, you are not going to win many games of basketball.
They rebound better than you might expect - 37.7 per game - and they do quite well grabbing offensive rebounds (sixth in the league).
But they are the worst team in the league at converting second-chance points, averaging 9.1 points per game.
They are also last for blocks per game (2.3), last for free throw percentage (65.5) and 10th for field goal percentage (42.8%).
There is hope, though. The Nuggets lead the league in three-pointers made (140) and are the fourth most accurate team (34.8%) from beyond the arc.
Bombs away. The ugly
The Nuggets have been like a plant-based alternative since Todd Withers returned to Australia following a three-game cameo.
While tofu is fine if you marinate it to within inches of its life, and jackfruit might even pass for pulled pork, they are no substitute for a good, meaty defence.
Withers brought a defensive intensity few can match and he lifted the Nuggets from the ranks of the mediocre.
It is no coincidence they won two of their three games while he was still gracing the singlet.
The other win came over the beleaguered Panthers.
Withers made up only 20% of the team when he was on the court. But he was 100% more committed than his replacement, Sebree, who likes to flex when he cuts to the hoop but folds down the other end.
Perez tries. But he is more bull than gazelle and has the top speed of a three-toed sloth missing one of its toes.
Janssen is out of position at centre. But, as the tallest guy on the roster, he gets stuck trying to shut down a different big each week and it is not his game.
Carey is in the team to score and he does that well in patches. But he is not a particularly hungry defender.
Some people throw themselves around, like Canterbury Rams player Walter Brown. He dived on the ball to secure possession for his side to help the Rams eventually beat the Nuggets 108-107 in overtime.
That ball was right at Carey's feet.
That leaves Darcy Knox as the only other regular member of the starting five.
The Nuggets captain does his best. But it is not a starting five blessed with much defensive potential. They often get shredded by the bench during training scrimmages.
The Nuggets can reliably lean on Matthew Bardsley to bring some defensive hustle from the bench.
He is hungry and he gets stops. Maybe he ought to start more.
Something needs to change.
The defence needs more bite.
adrian.seconi@odt.co.nz
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