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          Olgs' notebook: Adelaide's defensive rebound, Hawks talk to stars

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          Davis, Harrell lead 36ers to blow out victory (1:42)

          Kendric Davis and Montrezl Harrell dominate for the 36ers as Adelaide smash the Breakers at home. (1:42)

          • Olgun Uluc
          Jan 28, 2025, 08:00 AM

          Every week, ESPN's Olgun Uluc runs through what's catching his eye across the NBL, and takes you inside the conversations trickling around the Australian basketball ecosystem.

          The defensive numbers guiding Adelaide's turnaround

          The Adelaide 36ers of the 2024-25 NBL season have been nothing short of mercurial.

          Head coach Mike Wells has been guiding a team of passionate, oft-emotional characters, with undeniable talent but also legitimate questions on whether they'd mesh in time. From the get-go, they seemed like a high-risk, high-reward proposition; a group with an extremely high ceiling when all the talent was clicking at once, but with an equally low floor because of a severe lack of cohesion on the defensive end.

          Until it's demonstrated otherwise, the NBL is a league where team success is guided by defence. If you're lacking on that end of the floor, you're not a real contender, no matter how electric your offence is. Over the past eight years, the two teams featuring in the Championship Series were in the top-three in defence for that season; a high-level defence has, in effect, been a prerequisite for title contention in the league's recent history.

          And so, while the charismatic side of the 36ers is the thing that's attracted eyeballs of late, it's merely a byproduct of what's actually been the overwhelming key to the team's turnaround: a substantial improvement on the defensive end.

          Over their first 18 games of the season - a 7-11 record - the 36ers were dead last in defensive efficiency, allowing 123.7 points per 100 possessions. Opponents were shooting 40.2% from beyond the three-point line during that stretch, which was the highest percentage allowed in the league.

          Now, let's compare that to this recent eight-game run, where the team is 6-2. Over the eight games, the 36ers are allowing just 112.7 points per 100 possessions, which is No.1 in the NBL during that period of time. Opposing teams are shooting more three-pointers against them (35.6 3PA, compared to 31.6 3PA over their first 18 games), but are hitting them at the lowest rate (31.9%).

          "Our level of communication and organisation and attention to detail on the defensive end is night and day different," Wells said after the 36ers' win over the Breakers on Sunday.

          "Those guys are talking, they're communicating, they're saying the right things. Everything we've done has been on the defensive end, to be honest with you."

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          1:37
          36ers stamp their playoff credentials with big win over Kings

          Adelaide break the Sydney Kings' three-game winning streak and move into the top-6 on the NBL ladder.

          The 36ers are particularly effective with Isaac Humphries on the floor, but particularly on the defensive end. The team has had a defensive rating of 105 while Humphries is on the court over this recent eight-game stretch, which is easily a team best. They also have a team-high 136 offensive rating with Humphries on the floor during that stretch. The big-man's impact was on show in their last two games - wins over the Sydney Kings and New Zealand Breakers - where he totalled five steals and six blocks over Round 18.

          "It's really important for me," Humphries said after the 36ers' win over the Kings, on his defensive impact.

          "Honestly, I go into every game really not knowing what offence is coming my way, so I know I can control what I can do defensively. The fact that I got to show that and be really switched on defensively tonight was awesome. I think it really helped the guys.

          "My job is literally to be the back line of defence for all of us, and quarterback our defence. I love that role and I love that job... I love to anchor that and being back there, getting blocks and rebounds."

          The return of Sunday Dech from injury, and Lat Mayen's development over the course of the season, have also been key to the defensive turnaround, as well as the improvement of the general health of the team.

          Eight games probably isn't a big enough sample size to say that this team has absolutely, definitively turned a corner, especially because three-point luck can be a factor, and defensive rebounding (75 DRB% over the first stretch, to 69 DRB% in the most recent stretch; top-two to bottom-two in the league) is one of those indicators of potential championship success, and it's something they're struggling with.

          Still, eight games sure is approaching a reasonable sample to say that their defence isn't as broken as it first looked, and they have three more regular season games to keep making improvements on that end of the floor.

          Hawks in talks with star duo

          The Illawarra Hawks are atop the NBL ladder, but have made the first steps toward bringing back what's been an extremely effective core.

          The team's front office has begun preliminary talks with the representatives of both Sam Froling and Trey Kell III, sources told ESPN, with the hopes of getting deals done soon after the season comes to an end.

          Froling is in the midst of another impressive season in Wollongong, averaging 14.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 55.1% from the field. The Hawks made an initial offer to Froling which was well below his market value, sources said, but the two parties remain in good faith talks with regard to a potential extension.

          Kell III has been the Hawks' lead guard, averaging 18.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game.

          Could we see Tanner Groves back in the NBL?

          When we think of imports who may hang around the NBL beyond this season, Tanner Groves is a really interesting prospect.

          The start to his 2024-25 season was up-and-down, but the Cairns Taipans big-man has found an impressive level of consistency over the back stretch of his campaign. Through the Taipans' last 10 games, Groves is averaging 15.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, while shooting a really efficient 63% from the field, including 53% from downtown (on 3.0 3PA).

          Groves ticks a lot of the boxes of what a team would want in a third import: he has a high work-rate, is shooting the ball from deep at an efficient rate, and rebounds the ball at a good level.

          Groves has a desire to remain in the NBL beyond this season, sources said, so there's an opportunity for a team to pounce on the 6'10 centre - who's still only 25 - who's shown to be an effective player in the league.

          My favourite plays of the week

          Here's Jack White going coast to coast, with just one dribble beyond half court.

          This, here, is three veterans making good reads across the board. Chris Goulding draws the second defender with his gravity, Marcus Lee slips, and Matthew Dellavedova hits him on the money for the layup.

          The Sydney Kings' offence has been below average all season, but their game against the Phoenix gave us some glimpses of improvements.

          The inverted pick and roll used to be a staple for Xavier Cooks with the Sydney Kings; often with Dejan Vasiljevic back in the day. We've barely seen any of that this season. Hopefully we see some more of it.