Boomers VS Team USA Games 1 and 2 at Marvel Stadium

The first exhibition game between the Boomers and Team USA is scheduled for Thursday night, the 22nd of August at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne. Most likely by the time you’ve read this the game will have been played and won. For many the absence of the biggest names from the NBA has been a sore point, with angry fans requesting refunds and many seats still available. From the outside, it could be said that maybe Basketball as a sport is the loser in what appears to be a bit of a fan debacle.

But not so? Read this excellent appraisal from the Roar

Anger over the Australia-USA exhibition match debacle ramped up this week as the ACCC became involved in helping frustrated fans get ticket refunds for the historic two-game series.

With multiple Team USA stars pulling out of games, fans have claimed they were misled by false advertising campaigns that included a number of NBA superstars. Even when the actual USA squad was announced it featured stars like James Harden, Anthony Davis and Damian Lillard. And the Aussie team was set to include NBA stars Ben Simmons, Jonah Bolden and Dante Exum. However, just one day out from the first game at Marvel Stadium, all of these players have made themselves unavailable for a variety of reasons.

Who would have thought 12 months ago, when the plan to bring the NBA’s biggest stars to Melbourne was front-page news, that we’d find ourselves in this position? The games still have many seats available and there are sure to be more empty seats if people get their desired refunds.

It’s a sad state of affairs for what was supposed to be a game changer for Australian basketball.

The big question is: is all this hoopla (pun intended) justified? Or is the anger of these so-called fans simply misguided?

Rather than focus on what’s missing, let’s take a look at what’s still in play. On Thursday night, arguably the best Australian basketball team ever assembled will play in front of the biggest crowd ever seen for a game on these shores. Yes, Simmons is missing. So is Exum, Bolden and Thon Maker. Don’t forget Ryan Broekhoff too. But it is a credit to Aussie hoops that even with those outs the Boomers will still field a team that includes six players with NBA experience, including two with championship rings.

You have Andrew Bogut, the No. 1 draft pick of 2005 and a championship player. You have Matthew Dellavedova, another champion who is notorious for his aggressive and physical style of play. You’ve got Joe Ingles of the Utah Jazz, a player who has excelled in Australia and in Europe and who is now a phenomenon in America known for his sharpshooting.

You’ve got Patty Mills, a veteran point guard of the San Antonio Spurs who continues to contribute to both club and country in so many ways. Throw in Aron Baynes and Mitch Creek and you’ve got six NBA stars – and the word star is completely justified for all these guys. And that’s not to mention the NBL stars like Chris Goulding and European star Jock Landale. This is no amateur team.

On the other side you’ve got what many might call a second-string USA team. But that team includes Donovan Mitchell, Kemba Walker and Jayson Tatum as well as Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Khris Middleton. Yes, the US won’t field its best team, but the team they will field is still filled with NBA talent. It’s a younger team, but many of these guys are the future of the NBA.

As for the game itself, the same crew that convert football stadiums for NCAA final four games will take the reigns at Marvel. Massive multimedia screens and an NBA-worthy court setup will make this an experience like nothing seen in Australia. And everything else aside, these are the final hit=outs for two teams considered medal hopes for the upcoming World Cup. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of this?

The problem we have here is that Aussie fans are still too focused on the NBA. The National Basketball Association is arguably the biggest, most profitable and most popular sporting product in the world – in fact it is probably one of the biggest entertainment products full stop. There is no other basketball competition in the world that comes close to the NBA. The flow-on effect for Australia is that most Australian fans are more interested in the NBA than our local competition.

The truth of the matter is that many Aussie hoop ‘fans’ wouldn’t be able to tell you who plays for the Opals, who our best local players are or even who won the NBL championship last year (shock, horror!). The sad reality is that when these exhibition games were announced, many fans chose to view it as an NBA extravaganza rather than a historic, home-soil match for our Boomers ahead of an extremely important World Cup campaign. And now that Little Johnny won’t get to see LeBron James or Steph Curry play, what’s the point of going?

It’s even sadder given Australian basketball is thriving at the moment. You might even say it’s the best it’s ever been. NBA representation aside, the local game is going gangbusters. The NBL has reached new heights with international acclaim, fantastic media coverage, a new free-to-air deal with SBS, an extremely competitive competition players across the world are looking at and huge signings, including two of the biggest NBA prospects in America

We’ve just crowned champions in the inaugural NBL1, a new feeder series that gives the best men and women ballers in the country the opportunity to showcase their skills. On the international stage we’ve seen recent medals for the Opals, under-19 girls, under-17 girls, men’s and women’s 3×3 teams and the Rollers wheelchair team. Participation and interest in basketball is at an all-time high across the country.

It’s sad to think that even with all this positivity fans are still not interested enough in Aussie hoops to want to sit courtside and cheer on our lads on one of the biggest stages possible. It is an insult to Australian basketball that people are turning their back on these games. Yes, ticket prices are expensive and, yes, we were misguided by advertising, but we’re still getting a pretty bloody good deal. We should be throwing our full support behind it regardless of how many NBA players show up.

We should be showing the world how much we care about the sport. Instead, I fear that there will be a lot of empty seats at Marvel Stadium on Thursday and Saturday, and while it will still be a spectacle and a fitting send-off for both teams as they head to China, it could have been so much more. A sad state of affairs indeed.

Source: theroar.com.au

Nellakir are Victoria and Tasmania’s leading experts in the construction, maintenance and cleaning of premium Sprung Timber Sports Flooring. All courts are built and maintained to current FIBA standards and use ASF/Horner Flooring Systems exclusively.

For a premium playing surface, call Nellakir now on 03 9467 6126 or leave your details here for a prompt reply. Enquire about a complete refurbishment of your playing surface or simply schedule the ultimate in professional Court Cleaning.

Nellakir – The Sports Flooring of Champions.

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Nellakir Powers On – Ben Simmons doesn’t miss a beat.

In India there’s a saying; “When the dogs are barking, the elephant keeps walking”. So it is with Ben Simmons – conservative commentators have been lashing out at him during his current visit based on some very irrational thinking. When he was denied entry to Crown, the press runs the story ‘he’s making it up’. When thousands turn up to greet him after his camp in Sydney – ‘he ignored them’.

Sorry but not good enough. People of fame have walked into Crown intoxicated, barely dressed and abusive – quite simply this was a stuff-up. Simmons was sober, casually dressed and controlled.

Ben just takes it in his stride.

Read about it here:

Once again, we rejoice in cutting down a tall poppy

Australia should be building up Ben Simmons, not tearing him down. After all, not only is he our richest athlete, he may also be our most important.

Some sections of the Australian media seem hell-bent on hurling condemnation at him for supposedly making a meal of his trip back to Australia, with shock-jock Alan Jones making the baffling claim that Simmons should “go back to America and stay there”.

It seems Jones and other commentators have not enjoyed Simmons’ trip at all. They’re unimpressed that, when refused entry to Crown casino, he claimed it was a result of racial profiling.

Others thought him precious for “storming” out of an interview with Channel Seven’s Campbell Brown after a joke about the Crown racism incident fell flat. Football commentator Kane Cornes even said he was “sick of Ben Simmons”.

But it’s the rage about him charging $200 a head for a basketball camp and then apparently “sneaking out” early that really smacks of Australia’s obsession with tearing down our international success stories.

The haters lined up to shoot him down for charging $200 after he recently signed a $243 million five-year contract with the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers.

Because of all of this, Jones has claimed Simmons “has lost a lot of people very quickly”.

What a load of rubbish. Just because Simmons is wealthy, it doesn’t mean he owes us something and it certainly doesn’t mean he now has to work for free. There are plenty of wealthy sportspeople and media types charging a small fortune to appear at sportsmen’s nights and other community functions, and nobody seems to bat an eyelid at that. Should they also work for free?

Simmons is an international superstar and doesn’t have to come back to Australia. In fact, he could be anywhere in the world doing anything he wants.

The fact he’s chosen to come home should be celebrated, and harnessed to encourage kids to get out and play.

In an age when kids are regularly glued to their screens and too often isolated and shut away from the world, international superstars such as Simmons have the ability to do far more good than harm.

What many of these haters don’t realise is that times are changing. No longer are younger fans obsessed only with Australia’s traditional sports. Increasingly, they’re gravitating to overseas sports with a truly global appeal. They’re fascinated by megastars who earn truckloads of money and who have millions of social media followers around the world.

In fact, many follow stars and brands more than teams.

Simmons is a bona fide basketball star. Furthermore, he’s a star of a sport that’s played by more kids in Australia than cricket, Australian football and rugby league. And he’s playing in a competition, the NBA, that has more subscribers to its streaming service per capita in Australia than any other nation in the world.

And yet, instead of encouraging him to help get kids off the couch and onto the basketball court, where they can be active, socialise and form meaningful friendships and communities, we’ve tried to chase him out of the country.

Sadly, the behaviour and sentiment showed towards Simmons is not unique. Australian golfing legend Greg Norman once remarked that if someone in America bought a sports car, other Americans would say “nice car”; if someone in Australia bought a sports car, other Australians would scratch it.

Source: smh.com.au

Meanwhile Nellakir has been awarded two new VBSA contracts at Casey Field School and another at Clyde North Primary School. These will be purpose built Sprung Timber Sports Flooring School Basketball Courts. It has also been awarded the Victorian Netball contract at Royal Park to build 6 new premium competition courts. Add to this two replacement courts – one at Richmond High School, the other at Wesley College Elsternwick. And lastly, the new Cleaning Service from Nellakir has kicked off with contracts in Cragieburn and Whittlesea.

It’s simple, when you require expert service, experience and simply the best in materials and equipment, call Nellakir on 03 9467 6126 or leave your details here for a prompt reply.

Nellakir – Victoria and Tasmania’s leading experts in the Construction, Maintenance and Cleaning of Premium Timber Sports Flooring.

Nellakir – Sports Flooring for Champions.

Nellakir helps young athletes reach their goals by providing the highest quality Sprung Timber Sports Floor playing surfaces.

The Young Boomers – Australia’s latest crop.

Every year more young Australians are both nominated for the NBA draft and being accepted by a wide range of teams within the conference.

The standard of Australian Basketball is now at an all time high with our National team, the Boomers, considered a top hope in this year’s FIBA Basketball World Cup to be staged in China this September. This is the Men’s Championship. The Women’s Competition is held non-sequentially with the next World Cup event scheduled for 2022 in Bulgaria.

The standard of Australian Basketball owes much to the improvement of Court facilities nationally. The proliferation of proper Sprung Timber Sports Flooring has occurred at a rapid rate since 2007, with many schools now boasting multipurpose Timber Sports Flooring courts. As well the federal and State Governments have actively funded State regional and suburban stadiums and Court complexes.

For the last 10-12 years, young students and community competitions have enjoyed the benefits of fully professional FIBA approved playing surfaces. No longer is there a transition period from hard surfaces to timber sports flooring and the consequent period of adjustment.

This season’s crop of young Boomers is living testimony to these advances.

Read about it here…

FIBA World Cup 2019: Boomers of the future – Who will lead the next generation of Aussies?

With the Boomers assembling in Melbourne for their pre-World Cup selection camp, the squad is infused with a mixture of young and old.

Veterans Patty Mills, Andrew Bogut, Matthew Dellavedova, Joe Ingles, and Aron Baynes will lead the way once again in China at the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, with Mills acknowledging the role of the senior players in fostering a winning environment for the program.

“Our leadership group has a responsibility to pass on what it means to be a Boomer and play for your country and make sure this program is at its peak knowing the type of talent coming through,” Mills said.

“We understand where we want this program to go and to achieve the number one goal of winning a medal and a gold medal as well.”

While the core group still has plenty of productive years ahead, with one eye on the future, we look at the Aussies who will carry the torch down the track as they usher in the next generation of Boomers.

Ben Simmons (Philadelphia 76ers – age 23)

While Simmons won’t be in China for the World Cup, the All-Star point guard has re-affirmed his commitment to pulling on the green and gold in Tokyo next year as Australia chases its first Olympic medal for the men’s team.

Simmons gives the Boomers a commanding presence at the point guard position, ensuring a mismatch every time he steps on the floor, but given Australia’s glut of guards, the 6-foot-10 powerhouse can also be deployed as a power forward with his size and ability to finish at the rim.

Jonah Bolden (Philadelphia 76ers – age 23)

Bolden is set to make his Boomers debut this year and figures as a key contributor at the World Cup.

At 6-foot-10, with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, Bolden gives the Boomers a key frontcourt piece for right now and in the future, with the flexibility to play as an international four or five.

Alongside Bogut and Baynes in the paint, Bolden’s athleticism and length provides the Boomers with a versatile floor-spacing big for coach Andrej Lemanis to switch things up and expect to see him get plenty of burn in China.

“It would mean the world to the country, and to the players themselves,” Bolden told Basketball Australia of winning a medal. “So for me, that’s obviously the goal… It’s definitely a challenge but I’m looking forward to it and I’m sure the other guys are looking forward to it as well.

“It’s always been a dream to play for the national team growing up. Being born and raised in Australia, for me it’s exciting times.”

Jock Landale (Zalgiris Kaunas, Lithuania – age 23)

Landale is on the cusp of making the Boomers squad for China after an impressive Summer League campaign for the Milwaukee Bucks, averaging 18.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game on 55 percent shooting from the field.

The 23-year-old continues to expand his game and has developed a reliable three-point shot to compliment his already polished low-post game.

Deng Adel (Brooklyn Nets – age 22)

Perhaps Australia’s greatest area of need down the track is depth on the wing, with Ingles and Ryan Broekhoff, who will miss the World Cup, currently the Boomers best options on the perimeter.

While Adel doesn’t have the same threat from beyond the arc as Ingles and Broekhoff, the 22-year-old continues to improve as a shooter. Widely expected to make the roster for China, Adel’s high motor and athleticism will give the Boomers another transition threat at the World Cup and beyond.

Dante Exum (Utah Jazz – age 24)

Exum won’t be in China for the World Cup as he continues his recovery from a knee injury, however he looks to be a certain stalwart for the Boomers down the track.

Mills and Dellavedova have had a monopoly on Australia’s point guard duties in recent years, but if the Utah Jazz point guard can stay healthy next season, he will be primed to play a big role at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Thon Maker (Detroit Pistons – age 22)

Maker made his Boomers debut last year against the Phillippines, but will miss the upcoming World Cup to focus on his development with the Detroit Pistons.

While Bolden and Landale are currently with the squad in camp, Maker has the highest ceiling of new wave of big men and with his size and shot-blocking ability, he projects to have a bright future in international basketball and will push for selection at next year’s Olympics.

Josh Green (Arizona – age 18)

Green is the youngest of the group and is yet to even play a game in the NCAA, but all indicators point to him being a high draft pick in 2020. Will that be too soon to see him in Tokyo? Most likely, but Green is certainly one to watch for the future.

The springy 18-year-old looks every bit the modern NBA combo guard at 6-foot-6 and alongside Exum and Simmons could form a dynamic playmaking trio for the Boomers.

Source: sportingnews.com

The future looks very rosy. And to ensure premium court surfaces for Timber Sports Flooring, always call on the leading experts in the construction, maintenance and professional regular cleaning of all Timber Sports Floors in Victoria, Nellakir Pty Ltd. Call now on 03 9467 6126 or leave your details here for a prompt reply. Book a no-obligation free consultation to ensure your facility is maintained to the highest standard.

Nellakir – Timber Sports Flooring for Champions.

Nellakir helps young athletes reach their goals by providing the highest quality Sprung Timber Sports Floor playing surfaces.

Ben Simmons in Melbourne

Did you miss it? Ben Simmons conducted his third annual Basketball Camp Melbourne – 2019 on July 28th out at Mullum Mullum Stadium in Donvale. Here’s a boy returning to his roots – he went to Secondary College at nearby Whitefriars College.

With 4.3 million Instagram followers, it’s obvious this guy is numero uno with the fans right now. For their entertainment he toured the Melbourne Zoo, the Street Art Alleyways (Hey! Let’s call it what it is – Graffiti – but oh so high quality. Real art. Remember Banksy has done Melbourne). Photo ops with kiddies and koalas, Ben and a dingo – it’s all very human and very cool.

Then the press has jumped on him for opting out of the FIBA World Cup scheduled for China in a months time. But perhaps it’s timely to consider what Boomers Coach Andrej Lemanis has to say on the matter.

Boomers hit back at Simmons backlash ‘doing a disservice’ to World Cup team

Boomers coach Andrej Lemanis says the noise around the withdrawal of Ben Simmons for the World Cup warm-up games is “doing a disservice” to the same squad that captivated the country at the 2016 Olympics.

The Boomers, powered by Patty Mills and Andrew Bogut, were denied bronze in Brazil in an agonising one-point loss to Spain that is still raw with the players.

The addition of NBA All-Star Ben Simmons was touted as the missing piece as Australia hunt a maiden international medal at the World Cup in China from September 1.

The Philadelphia 76ers talent was forced to twice retreat from his initial Boomers commitment though, first pulling out of the World Cup and last week excusing himself from Australia’s four lead-up games against the USA and Canada in Melbourne and Perth.

That, along with multiple high-profile US withdrawals, earned the ire of some fans, who Lemanis said would soon be reminded of the Australian squad’s depth.

“It’s doing a disservice to the talent available to us,” Lemanis said of the grumbles.

“We’ve got four NBA champions (Aron Baynes, Matthew Dellavedova, Bogut and Mills) plus Joe Ingles who starts on a great NBA team (Utah Jazz) and a core of the group that did well in Rio and captured the imagination of the Australian public,” he said.

“We’ve got a talented team that is perhaps being undersold by the tension put on Ben not playing.

“Hopefully we can digest and think ‘we’ve still got a good team and they share the ball, it’ll be fun to watch’ and that is what people enjoyed about Rio.”

A 17-man squad will gather in Melbourne on Friday, with the final 12-man World Cup roster due to be announced next week.

Australia will face Canada, Senegal and Lithuania in their World Cup pool games, with the final in Beijing on September 15.

“To have players on hand with the talent required (to win the World Cup) is just awesome,” Lemanis said.

“You don’t need the stars and planets to align to have a chance of winning and that’s a good feeling.

“It’s not even a feeling of pressure or extra pressure; it’s your own self-motivation.”

Source: wwos.nine.com.au

For premium quality Timber Sports Flooring all year round championship quality surfaces, always rely on Victoria’s leading experts in Sports Flooring, Nellakir. From full construction and installation to regular professional cleaning, protect your valuable Sports Flooring. Call Nellakir on 03 9467 6126 or leave your details here for a prompt response.

Nellakir – Timber Sports Flooring for Champions.

Nellakir helps young athletes reach their goals by providing the highest quality Sprung Timber Sports Floor playing surfaces.

New Zealand’s Silver Ferns Claim World Cup Title Over Australia

The Netball World Cup has now been completed with New Zealand’s Silver Ferns running out victors – defeating Australia by a heartbreaking one solitary point. Australia 51 / New Zealand 52.

For the first time in the sport’s history, the World Cup winning team were ultimately rewarded with a sponsors prize of $300,000 divided amongst the team members. Each player received $25,000. Keep in mind these players were virtually full time in their preparation for the World Cup for over 6 months – so this will be a most welcome relief.

Read about it here:

World Cup-winning NZ netballers rewarded with unprecedented payment after outcry

• Public campaign nets Silver Ferns $25,000 each
• Sponsors contribute towards bonus fund for players

A public outcry has helped the Silver Ferns receive an unprecedented winning bonus payment of $300,000 following their triumph at the Netball World Cup. Netball NZ has announced each player in the 12-strong squad will be granted $25,000, a breakthrough in a sport that struggles for commercial cut-through despite its high participation rate.

A group of sponsors contributed towards a bonus fund after it was revealed the players would not receive a cent of prize money following their 52-51 win over Australia in last Sunday’s final in Liverpool.

While the players did not complain, a public debate was generated around the disparity of remuneration levels in top level sport. It was revealed the New Zealand men’s cricketers would share a prize pool of about $3m for their runners-up finish at the World Cup a week earlier.

NNZ chief executive Jennie Wyllie said it was a good feeling to reward the players, who are otherwise playing solely for pride internationally in a highly demanding sport.

“Elite players continue to work relentlessly for their love of the game without expectations of high remuneration, but this is a huge step forward and we are very grateful to our partners, who we could not do this without,” she said.

Leading players in New Zealand’s domestic league are reportedly paid close to $100,000 when third-party agreements are factored in.

The Silver Ferns’ next assignment is the four-Test Constellation Cup against Australia in October.

NNZ is still to confirm if inspiring coach Noeline Taurua will be in charge for the series, allowing her time to find her feet again in her other role as coach of the Sunshine Coast Super Netball team.

Source: theguardian.com

Netball is closing in on becoming a fully professional sport. With Free to Air Television coverage, great Stadiums and facilities, the sport has one of the highest per capita participation rates of any sport in Australia.

Most junior competitions are being enabled to play many more games on genuine sprung timber sports flooring. With Federal funding of larger sports stadiums in both Suburban and Regional areas; and with the Victorian State Government funding both new schools and existing schools to build high quality Sports Stadiums with genuine Timber Sports Flooring, the general standard of competition is certainly on the rise.

Nellakir are the leading experts in the Construction and Maintenance of genuine sprung timber sports flooring in both Victoria and Tasmania. From initial construction, utilising ASF/Horner FIBA approved timber flooring systems exclusively, to annual maintenance including re-surfacing and linemarking, to weekly or bi-weekly professional cleaning of your Timber Sports Flooring, always call Nellakir on 03 9467 6126. If you prefer, leave your contact details here for a prompt reply. Professional and proficient – engage the best.

Arrange a free no-obligation quote today and ensure your competition and teams are always playing on a premium playing surface.

Nellakir – Sports Flooring for Champions.

Nellakir helps young athletes reach their goals by providing the highest quality Sprung Timber Sports Floor playing surfaces.

Ben Simmons – A Vision of the Future.

It’s Friday night and the kids are loaded in the car and we are off to their junior Basketball competition at the local stadium. It’s a premium competition surface – timber sports flooring. Each week the boys and their sister seem to be getting better, more proficient.

And then you remember what your youngest said to your mum (their grandma).

“Are you going to study and become a doctor? Maybe a Lawyer? Or perhaps an Architect?” she asked.

“No Grandma – I’m going to keep growing and I’m going to practice until I make the NBA draft when I leave school!” he answered enthusiastically.

“But Tyrone, you’ll need a good education to make a living” said my mum.

“Nah – I’ll be like Ben Simmons. He used to play footy but then he played Basketball for the Knox Raiders – just out there near Knox City Grandma. Yeah I want to do what he’s doing!”

“What’s that darling?” asked my mum.

“Playing the hoops and getting $46 million (A) a year! He’s going to make $242 million in five years Grandma!”

“Oh my goodness” says my mum.

But the kid has a point. So whatever it takes hey?

Now Australian kids right across the country have an inspirational path to follow. With new schools (and older ones) all being included in the State Government scheme to provide superior facilities for all schools and communities, most kids these days get to play on a premium competition court – with sprung timber sports flooring of the highest standard. So the dream of many young men and women is no longer improbable.

Read about Ben Simmons contract here. Unfortunately we will miss his services during the World Cup in August/September but he has reiterated he will play for the Boomers at the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020.

Ben Simmons has agreed to a five-year, $US170 million ($A242 million) contract extension with the Philadelphia 76ers in the richest deal ever by an Australian athlete.

The Athletic, citing Simmons’ agent Rich Paul, was the first to report on Monday (Tuesday AEST) that he had accepted the offer.

Ben Simmons has signed a $A242 million five-year contract extension with his NBA team, the Philadelphia 76ers.

The team and Paul have been working out details since July 2. The maximum extension was originally believed to be $US168.2 million, yet it’s actually higher than $US170 million due to the new salary cap projections.

The extension, which begins during the 2020-21 season, could pass $US200 million if Simmons makes the All-NBA team this season.

Simmons is a triple-double machine and one of the NBA’s young superstars, so extending his contract was an easy decision for the ownership group and front office, despite criticism from some over elements of his game, predominantly the lack of a reliable jumpshot.

The 22-year-old averaged 16.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists last season as the Sixers lost in the second round of the playoffs to eventual champions Toronto. He had 10 triple-doubles this past season and now has 22 for his career.

Ben Simmons has formally agreed to a record-breaking contract extension, according to his agent.

He joins Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson as the only NBA players with at least 10 triple-double in each of their first two seasons.

Doubt still hangs over whether the Melbourne-born NBA All-Star will play for Australia later this year at the World Cup in China and in Melbourne and Perth exhibition games.

It was Paul who shocked Australian sports fans on the weekend when he told ESPN that Simmons was “doubtful” to play for Australia at the World Cup in August-September.

His absence would be a major blow to the Boomers’ hopes of claiming a medal in China in September and to huge crowds of Australian fans planning to watch him play exhibition games with the Boomers.

The Boomers will play a powerful US squad twice in front of more than a combined 100,000 fans at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne in August.

Simmons was also set to play for the Boomers twice in Perth against a strong Canadian squad before jetting out to China.

The Boomers are yet to win a medal at a World Cup or Olympics, but with Simmons spearheading a team laden with Australian NBA players including Patty Mills, Andrew Bogut, Joe Ingles, Matthew Dellavedova, Aron Baynes and Jonah Bolden, the drought appeared set to be broken.

On June 23, 2016, Simmons became the first No. 1 pick taken by the Sixers since 1996, when they took Allen Iverson out of Georgetown.

Source: www.smh.com.au

Nellakir are Victoria and Tasmania’s leading experts in the Construction, Maintenance and Cleaning of all Timber Sports Flooring. Nellakir have exclusive access to the FIBA approved ASF/Horner Sports Flooring systems.

For a premium sports surface and all your Timber Sports Flooring requirements, call 03 9467 6126 to arrange an obligation free consultation and quotation. Or leave your details here for a prompt reply.

Whether it’s regular court cleaning, annual maintenance (including resurfacing and linemarking) or a full reconstruction of your competition court, call Nellakir for premium performance and genuine service.

Nellakir – The Sports Flooring for Champions.

Nellakir helps young athletes reach their goals by providing the highest quality Sprung Timber Sports Floor playing surfaces.

Netball – Front and Centre Stage – The World Cup 2019.

The World Cup of Netball kicks off in Liverpool England this Friday the 12th of July.
Australia is scheduled to play Northern Ireland in the first session of the tournament at 11am, prior to the opening ceremony scheduled for 3pm the same day. In session 3, Australia will play Zimbabwe at 9am on July 13th. On Sunday the 14th Australia will play Sri Lanka at 3pm, Monday the 15th then hopefully it’s into the finals after qualifying is dispensed with.

With matches each day determined by the competition results, the World Cup Final will be played after a week of non-stop action on Sunday the 21st of July.

Here are some of the key factors to watch as the competition develops.

Ten things to watch out for at the Netball World Cup

England have broken the antipodean stranglehold with Commonwealth Games gold, and the World Cup starting on Friday is the most anticipated ever

Australia’s Caitlin Bassett (centre) comes into the tournament shouldering a great deal of pressure. Photograph: Simon Watts/Getty Images

1) The role physicality will play … or not

In the world’s top leagues – in Australia, New Zealand and England – netball has reached a new level of power and physicality. It hasn’t been “non-contact” for years. It’s inevitable the way such strength is adjudicated by neutral umpires, who aren’t used to the brute force displayed in the big leagues, will become a talking point. If players accustomed to a high level of physicality don’t adjust in Liverpool, they’ll give up too many penalties – which may tip the balance in a tight contest.

2) Roses in a pressure cooker

As reigning Commonwealth champions, hosts England have never been under so much pressure. The former England international and UK Superleague coach Tamsin Greenway says the English public expect the Roses to win. “The team is coming into this tournament confidently,” she says. “It’s not that they think they’re better than everybody, but they’re favourites and they should be.” How the squad, captained by 90-Test veteran Serena Guthrie, handles that pressure will define it for years to come.

3) Beware the wounded Kiwi

While many expect a Diamonds v Roses final, the Silver Ferns shouldn’t be discounted. Noeline Taurua has picked one of the most experienced New Zealand sides to contest a World Cup. Her team boasts 781 Tests of experience: a staggering 443 more international games than Australia. With more than 100 caps each, Maria Folau, Casey Kopua, Laura Langman and Katrina Rore will need to step up if the four-times world champions are to redeem their embarrassing Commonwealth Games performance, where they missed a medal for the first time.

Serena Guthrie will captain hosts England in Liverpool Photograph: Nigel French/PA

4) Blowtorch on Bassett

To say Caitlin Bassett carries pressure into Liverpool is a gargantuan understatement. The 193cm shooter is the most experienced Diamond, captain and the side’s main route to goal. She’s also coming back from an injury – and isn’t in scintillating form. The 31-year-old fractured her forearm in January and has lacked consistency since. Greenway says the Diamonds team heaps expectation on Bassett. “She’ll be feeling that. It’ll be interesting to see how she responds.”

5) Jamaica’s depleted shooting stocks

Jamaica typically has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to tall shooters, but this year they will have to rely heavily on their 198cm captain, Jhaniele Fowler, to hold down goal shooter. The 29-year-old, who has several niggling injuries, will have limited backup from 198cm Romelda Aiken, who is returning from bone stress to her tibia, while Shimona Nelson is out injured. The young goal attack Shanice Beckford is a genuine star, especially from distance, but there will still be plenty riding on Fowler’s broad shoulders.

6) Gretel’s moment to shine?

Netball’s most polarising figure, the Australian shooter Gretel Tippett, might just silence her critics with a breakout performance. Tippett – who came to the game late after playing high-level basketball as a junior – tends to elicit a strong response from fans, who call the 26-year-old everything from reckless to arrogant for her unorthodox style, physicality and “lay-up”. Having improved her accuracy and game sense in recent months, Tippett is set to deliver a “big whatever” to doubters, Greenway reckons.

7) Proteas ready to bloom

South Africa have their best chance in 25 years of winning a medal . The side know it and their coach, Norma Plummer, knows it. Hopes are high because six of the Proteas play in Australia, and others in England and New Zealand. For Plummer, who took the reins before the 2015 World Cup, that means her side can mix it with the finest. While she is “quietly confident”, the captain Bongiwe Msomi is more emphatic: “We are going for a medal.”

The tournament is likely to be Geva Mentor’s England swansong. Photograph: Hannah Peters/Getty Images

8) A fitting farewell for a Mentor

In the dictionary, next to big-game player, there may as well be a picture of the England goalkeeper Geva Mentor, who first represented her country aged 16 in 2001 and was pivotal in the Roses’ Commonwealth glory. In a sparkling career spanning three Commonwealth Games and now five World Cups, the 34-year-old has never won a medal on home soil. And she probably won’t be at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. So if history knocks in Liverpool, expect the 138-cap veteran to answer.

9) The H2 equation

The “moving circle” of shooters Helen Housby and Jo Harten has been crucial to the growth of the Roses, but the duo may come up against tactical resistance this tournament. Greenway – who has applied to replace Tracey Neville as England coach after the tournament – says opposition sides will have been studying “H2” carefully and have plans in place to combat them. If opponents have the answer to H2, the Roses may struggle.

10) Playing through, without time-outs

The Australia coach, Lisa Alexander, is acutely aware she has to “de-programme” her Diamonds when it comes to time-outs – which are allowed in the Super Netball competition but not at the World Cup. That goes for the other 19 internationals who play in the league too. Players have to work out how to “play through” matches without the benefit of numerous tactical breaks, which can significantly shift momentum. On-court leadership will come to the fore. “We’ve got to have that concentrated effort, it’s key,” Alexander says.

Source: theguardian.com

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