The Tasmania JackJumpers wrapped up their preseason with a 2-1 record at the NBL Blitz. They had wins over the Sydney Kings and the Cairns Taipans, whilst going down to one of the early title favorites the Adelaide 36ers. Here are a few of observations from the week in Darwin
Jack Mcveigh returns from injury in great form
Returning for his first game action since sustaining a shoulder injury with the Boomers in June, most expected Jack McVeigh to ease back into playing. But coming off the bench in their first two games, he showed right away the form that got him a call up to the national team. He top scored with 16 points in their win over Sydney, then did it once again as he top scored again with 16 pints in the loss to Adelaide.
Not surprisingly he moved to a starters role for the final game, where he upped the ante immediately as he raced to 20 points in the first half against Cairns, and was a big factor in the JackJumpers 20 point halftime lead. Roth then reined in McVeigh’s minutes in the second half, but he still finished with 25 points, which was enough to top score again, but also earn him the Ray Borner Medal for MVP of the Blitz. In the end he averaged 19 points per game on 59% from the field and 73% from outside.
Yes those small sample sizes will no doubt those numbers will certainly dip once the season begins. But his early offensive form is welcomed for a team that is going through a number of forced changed due to injuries, and moving on without leading score Josh Adams. His leadership on the court and focal point on offense in the early rounds will be pivotal for the JackJumpers to get off to strong start to the season.
Embed from Getty ImagesSean Mcdonald stepping up
With injuries forcing several players to miss the Blitz, there was opportunities for those who went to Darwin to impress Scott Roth and push for further opportunities in NBL23. Nobody did this more than Sean Macdonald. The second year development player was one of the surprises of the tournament, averaging 12.6 points and a regular trheat outside the permitter,permitter knocking down 9/12 from long range.
His form comes off his strong NBL1 season with NW Tasmania Thunder, where he played alongside fellow JackJumpers Fab Krsolvic and Matt Kenyon. With the Thunder MacDonald led the team with 17 points per game, but stepped up his game in the second half of the season after import Kevaughn Scott went down with a season ending knee injury. His rise was capped off with a 29 point performance in the final game of the season against NBL1 South Champion, the Hobart Chargers.
Impressed by his efforts in th opening two matched Scott Roth showed great faith in the young shooting guard as the tournament progressed. Finishing with 35 minutes on court time against Cairns for 18 points and 7 rebounds. Across the week he looked ready to attack when the ball was in the hands, regularly attacking the basket showing no hesitation pulling up for three, in a younger but somewhat similar fashion to Josh Adams.
Embed from Getty ImagesSame style brings same results
After surprising the NBL in their debut season, there is a sense that the teams will be more prepared for the JackJumpers this season. Again it is preseason, so its hard to look too far into it, but their defense-first style and a highly structured offense still was very effective in all games. Aside from a few stretches in the loss to Adelaide, who made the most of multiple size mismatches, Tasmania were rarely outplayed.
With Will Magnay still without a timetable back to playing, the lack of size may hurt them early with him on the sidelines. Players like Aron Baynes and Isaac Humphies may cause trouble inside, but no more than Jo Acuil, Duop Reath and Zhou Qi did last season, who all coincidentally are not returning to NBL23. But their defense, which they will hang their hat on again this season, remains up there with the best in the NBL, keeps them competitive in every game, and a key factor strong chance to return to finals.
New imports finding thier place
Its been a case of so far so good for Milton Doyle and Rashard Kelly, who both put in strong performances at the Blitz. Already having two games under their belt in Northern Tasmania against the South East Melbourne Phoenix, the pair look much more settled with their roles in the team.
Neither will have the dynamic scoring impact of Josh Adams, but they both have shown they fit well in Scott Roths offense and defensive systems, and look a great upgrade to the team. What has been impressive so far is their ability to not need the ball in thier hands, can create for themselves, and have have the ability to play multiple positions on the court – something the team lacked last season with thier imports. Their roles in the team will only become more defined once the season starts and the full roster returns to the lineup.
Hot three point shooting
Although much of this is thanks to the hot shooting of McVeigh and MacDonald, the team were really impressive with their shooting from outside. Ending the Blitz with hitting an impressive 45.4% from three.
This is great signs for a team that led the league in three point attempts last season, but finished 5th in three point percentage (32.4%). They also increased their average of 10.3 made threes from last season, knocking down 12, 13 and 15 threes across the three matches.
Again it’s just three games, but for a team that is going to be one of the most undersized in the league, three point shot will be key to their success. Don’t be surprised for Tasmania to again lead the league in three point attempts, its a vital to opening up the floor and bringing the opposition bigs out of the paint. Which allows their own bigs more space around the basket on offense and also allows all five on court the chance to compete for the offensive rebounds.
