Dene15
30-09-2009, 01:59 PM
Well, it's that time of year again where the WNBL season creeps up. Here I was thinking that it didn't start til next week. But hey, all the better!
So here are my predictions for the ladder, season awards etc.
1. Sydney Flames. Can't go past this lineup. Batkovic, Porter, Afeaki, Smith, Butler and that's just the starting lineup. To have players like Domkins and Potoki coming off the bench to help is simply an amazing array of talent. I think the only thing that could trouble this team is chemistry and injuries. If all goes well, I'm not sure this team will struggle too much. I definitely won't say they are unbeatable, because there are a couple other teams who could also take top spot, but right now, on paper, this team is the best. Would love to know how Sydney had the money to buy all these players. Possibly the best lineup in WNBL history? Couldn't be far off...
2. Bulleen-Melbourne Boomers. The top three spots were a bit tricky to predict. Especially 2nd and 3rd place. I don't think Bulleen have a better lineup than Canberra but I do rate Tom Maher as an exceptional coach. Certainly the signing of Elizabeth Cambage is huge. Here's hoping her move to the Boomers from the AIS takes her further than that of Grima. Penaluna has gone from strength to strength and with a back court of Milner, Glaubitz, O'Hea and Zavecz, this will surely be a tough team to beat.
3. Canberra Capitals. No doubt the 09/10 season could be another championship season for the Caps. But unlike the the previous, this year could have a few challenges facing the current champions. The back court is excellent. And I'm happy to see they signed a point guard with some experience oversees to assist Hurst. The signing of Wilson was huge and I think she will be a very good pickup. The only problems I see with this team are injuries. Bishop will be out until December and it is unclear how long she will take to get back into rhythm and Beatty is injured but will play limited minutes. This means Tolo will have to stand strong and McCormack is a bit of an unknown to the league, so I'm unsure how she will go. Although, I believe a championship is a definite possibility, I'm a bit unconvinced the injured front court will be able to stand up against the likes of Sydney and Bulleen.
4. Adelaide. I'll rate this Lightning team as being not bad but not great. They've signed Shelly Burston (nee Hammonds) which could help them immensely in the front court. But she is injury prone. It's great to see Camino is back, but I've heard she has injured herself which could be a problem. The loss of Gahan is pretty big and I'm not sure the Lightning have necessarily filled that hole. This team is defiantly strong and will give the top three a good shake. But they have a lot of inconsistencies, particularly lead by their hot and cold captain. Their coaching is also a bit of a concern.
5. Bendigo Spirit. The 5,6,7 and 8 spots are hard to predict. I don't rate this team highly, but of course with Kristi Harrower on board, she could definitely lift this team. They've also signed a Canadian import named Chelsea Aubry who will give the spirit some much needed help in the post.
6. Logan Thunder. This team certainly proved their worth last season, and with a similar lineup to last with the addition of a Polish post player named Marta Dydek (Any relations to Margo?), this team has the ability to go pretty far and wouldn't surprise me if they got higher than 6th on the ladder.
7. Townsville Fire. Poor Townsville. They have such a good following up there but their star recruit is out for the first part of the season which will probably hurt them. They have signed Rush, an American Import to replace Jen Crouse. Although they did very well last year, this team hasn't changed much from last season, and I believe they needed another good signing to boost their chances. Other teams have and therefore, I'm not sure we'll see this team do as well in 09/10.
8. Dandenong Rangers. I'd be feeling a bit blase if I were a Rangers fan this season. They have signed two American imports, and they got Megan Moody. but i've heard next to nothing about the two U.S girls and therefore am unable to judge how well they will help the team. Maybe I'm being a bit harsh. Maybe the should probably be placed further up the ladder. But when I look at the usual lineup of the Ryan crew, I feel like it's more of the same.
9. AIS. I know almost nothing about the players on the AIS team, but I placed them 9th because I thought they deserved a bit more respect than last. good luck to them. Let's see some more rising talent come out of the AIS!
10. Perth Lynx. Meh, nothing to say really. They signed an American import to replace Brown, but lost Smith. Hopefully they can get a win or two. Maybe they will receive a boost when they move into their new home stadium mid-season.
All Star 5.
C- Batkovic
PF- Cambage
SF- Wilson
SG- Smith
PG- Harrower
MVP
Batkovic-Brown
Defensive Player.
Kelly Abrams. Doubt she'll get it, but probably deserves it in my opinion.
Most Improved.
Marianna Tolo/Kristen Veal. I know, not an actual WNBL award. But this could be a breakout season for Tolo and with Veal having a relatively average season last year, she may be able to get back on top with a solid Thunder outfit.
So here are my predictions for the ladder, season awards etc.
1. Sydney Flames. Can't go past this lineup. Batkovic, Porter, Afeaki, Smith, Butler and that's just the starting lineup. To have players like Domkins and Potoki coming off the bench to help is simply an amazing array of talent. I think the only thing that could trouble this team is chemistry and injuries. If all goes well, I'm not sure this team will struggle too much. I definitely won't say they are unbeatable, because there are a couple other teams who could also take top spot, but right now, on paper, this team is the best. Would love to know how Sydney had the money to buy all these players. Possibly the best lineup in WNBL history? Couldn't be far off...
2. Bulleen-Melbourne Boomers. The top three spots were a bit tricky to predict. Especially 2nd and 3rd place. I don't think Bulleen have a better lineup than Canberra but I do rate Tom Maher as an exceptional coach. Certainly the signing of Elizabeth Cambage is huge. Here's hoping her move to the Boomers from the AIS takes her further than that of Grima. Penaluna has gone from strength to strength and with a back court of Milner, Glaubitz, O'Hea and Zavecz, this will surely be a tough team to beat.
3. Canberra Capitals. No doubt the 09/10 season could be another championship season for the Caps. But unlike the the previous, this year could have a few challenges facing the current champions. The back court is excellent. And I'm happy to see they signed a point guard with some experience oversees to assist Hurst. The signing of Wilson was huge and I think she will be a very good pickup. The only problems I see with this team are injuries. Bishop will be out until December and it is unclear how long she will take to get back into rhythm and Beatty is injured but will play limited minutes. This means Tolo will have to stand strong and McCormack is a bit of an unknown to the league, so I'm unsure how she will go. Although, I believe a championship is a definite possibility, I'm a bit unconvinced the injured front court will be able to stand up against the likes of Sydney and Bulleen.
4. Adelaide. I'll rate this Lightning team as being not bad but not great. They've signed Shelly Burston (nee Hammonds) which could help them immensely in the front court. But she is injury prone. It's great to see Camino is back, but I've heard she has injured herself which could be a problem. The loss of Gahan is pretty big and I'm not sure the Lightning have necessarily filled that hole. This team is defiantly strong and will give the top three a good shake. But they have a lot of inconsistencies, particularly lead by their hot and cold captain. Their coaching is also a bit of a concern.
5. Bendigo Spirit. The 5,6,7 and 8 spots are hard to predict. I don't rate this team highly, but of course with Kristi Harrower on board, she could definitely lift this team. They've also signed a Canadian import named Chelsea Aubry who will give the spirit some much needed help in the post.
6. Logan Thunder. This team certainly proved their worth last season, and with a similar lineup to last with the addition of a Polish post player named Marta Dydek (Any relations to Margo?), this team has the ability to go pretty far and wouldn't surprise me if they got higher than 6th on the ladder.
7. Townsville Fire. Poor Townsville. They have such a good following up there but their star recruit is out for the first part of the season which will probably hurt them. They have signed Rush, an American Import to replace Jen Crouse. Although they did very well last year, this team hasn't changed much from last season, and I believe they needed another good signing to boost their chances. Other teams have and therefore, I'm not sure we'll see this team do as well in 09/10.
8. Dandenong Rangers. I'd be feeling a bit blase if I were a Rangers fan this season. They have signed two American imports, and they got Megan Moody. but i've heard next to nothing about the two U.S girls and therefore am unable to judge how well they will help the team. Maybe I'm being a bit harsh. Maybe the should probably be placed further up the ladder. But when I look at the usual lineup of the Ryan crew, I feel like it's more of the same.
9. AIS. I know almost nothing about the players on the AIS team, but I placed them 9th because I thought they deserved a bit more respect than last. good luck to them. Let's see some more rising talent come out of the AIS!
10. Perth Lynx. Meh, nothing to say really. They signed an American import to replace Brown, but lost Smith. Hopefully they can get a win or two. Maybe they will receive a boost when they move into their new home stadium mid-season.
All Star 5.
C- Batkovic
PF- Cambage
SF- Wilson
SG- Smith
PG- Harrower
MVP
Batkovic-Brown
Defensive Player.
Kelly Abrams. Doubt she'll get it, but probably deserves it in my opinion.
Most Improved.
Marianna Tolo/Kristen Veal. I know, not an actual WNBL award. But this could be a breakout season for Tolo and with Veal having a relatively average season last year, she may be able to get back on top with a solid Thunder outfit.