Club-By-Club: One reason your team can win

With the NBL tip-off just three weeks away, it's all about to get real for the 10 teams vying to stand alone as champions at season's end.

Each and every year we see some teams surprise, some disappoint and others deliver exactly what was expected.

With all that in mind, here is one reason to believe your team has what it takes to go all the way in NBL25.

Starting unit strength
On paper, Adelaide’s starting unit is one of the most promising in the competition. When you pair two of the best locals in DJ Vasiljevic and Isaac Humphries, with an explosive point guard in Kendric Davis and proven winner Jarrell Martin, that’s a recipe for success for the 36ers.

With Sunday Dech potentially rounding out their starting unit, Adelaide seems to have all their bases covered, with five players who can get the job done. A lot of the responsibility to carry this team will be on the back of these five players, and if they stay fit and healthy, they can deliver.

Jarell Martin.

Return of 2018 Casey Prather
When Casey Prather joined the Bullets midway through last season, the club understood it was more of an audition for NBL25 than anything else.

Through the seven games Prather played last year, he averaged just under seven points in 14 minutes per appearance. With a full offseason under his belt and the knee injury behind him, the Bullets are hoping that he can return to somewhere near his best to help this team achieve their goals.

NBL fans have seen what that level is, when he averaged 20 points and 4 rebounds for Perth in 2017, when they won a title and then 17 points and 6 rebounds the following year for Melbourne, when they held the trophy aloft.

Casey Prather.

Outwork everyone
We are used to a very unique style of play at Cairns under Adam Forde, and a lot of that revolves around some very simple traits – hustle defensively, unlimited energy and equal opportunity.

Those characteristics have shown to be very successful in previous years when teams have bought into it, and it’s the one thing a small market team like Cairns can control over anything else.

In NBL23, when the Taipans finished third on the ladder, that hustle and freedom shone through the team and it elevated their play to another level.

Forde also has the capability to unlock another level to new signings, much like when DJ Hogg arrived having averaged just nine points in the G-League and he ended the NBL season as an All-NBL player.

Adam Forde.

Full year of Justin Tatum
If the back half of last season is anything to go by, then Hawks fans should be very excited for a full year of Justin Tatum.

When he took over the head coaching role last year, the Hawks looked like a completely new outfit and charged into the semi finals.

With the majority of their core returning, if Illawarra can begin its season where it left NBL24, then there’s no limit to what they can achieve.

The team played with a certain swagger and confidence under Tatum and guys like Davo Hickey relished their opportunities and found permanent spots in the rotation. That’s what many expect from the young star, Lachlan Olbrich, this season, when he inevitably gets more opportunity to showcase what he can do.

Justin Tatum.

Elite defensive unit
Dean Vickerman knows the secret to success in the NBL is being elite defensively. Every year he’s been a head coach, his team usually separates themselves from the rest of the competition in that area specifically.

That won’t change with the roster they have put together for NBL25 and perhaps they will even get a bit stronger with the additions of Marcus Lee and Jack White.

Yes, there may still be a question mark around their offensive potential, but there’s simply no denying how strong they could be on the defensive end.

When you combine Shea Ili and Matthew Dellavedova with White and Lee, that is a blueprint to shut down any opposition.

They say defence wins championships, let’s put that that to the test once again.

Marcus Lee.

PJC + Gillespie combo
A lot of reports out of New Zealand in the pre-season is that new import, Freddie Gillespie, is every bit the defensive beast they were hoping for.

Gillespie’s reputation throughout his professional career is that he protects the rim well and has the ability to switch onto guards and slide his feet.

Two seasons ago when the Breakers made the Championship Series, it was Dererk Pardon who filled this role perfectly and essentially shaped the entire way the team played.

With what we have seen and know about Parker Jackson-Cartwright, combining his lightning quick speed with Gillespie’s length and athleticism on both ends could be a winning combination for New Zealand.

Parker Jackson-Cartwright.

Well balanced roster
The Wildcats attacked the off-season in the right mindset, by identifying some important areas that they needed to improve on, after they fell just short of the ultimate goal in NBL24.

They re-signed Kristian Doolittle early, who gives them a strong point-of-attack defender to set the tone each and every night. They also secured Dylan Windler, a knockdown shooter who is also very handy on the glass. That's two areas the Wildcats had to improve on from last season. 

Finally, they loaded up on some important bench additions with college recruit Elijah Pepper and Next Star Izan Almansa.

Pepper, who has already shown in preseason that he is capable of scoring the ball at this level, will relish the opportunity to provide that spark off the bench and has been a star in the Wildcats' pre-season games so far.

Kristian Doolittle.

Offensive weapons galore
South East Melbourne have loaded up with offensive weapons during the off-season. It’s not so much that they just went out and signed the best scorers possible, it’s the fact they found pieces that look to complement each other perfectly.

Derrick Walton Jr is a proven stud in the NBL after winning the title for Sydney in 2023 and claiming the Larry Sengstock Medal in the process.

With Walton Jr running the point, the Phoenix have loaded up around their star guard, with Joe Wieskamp and Matt Hurt ready to knock it down from the perimeter.

Adding an exceptional rolling big man like Jordan Hunter with another pure scorer in Nathan Sobey, and this Phoenix team should put points on the board for fun.

Derrick Walton Jr. 

Talent, talent, talent
Where do you begin with this Sydney Kings team for NBL25? There is just so much talent on this roster that you could make a strong case for many of their bench players being starters on any other team.

With everyone on this roster capable of playing meaningful minutes, it will be an interesting juggling act for coach Brian Goorjian to figure out.

Either way, whatever lineups he thinks will work best, the Kings will have many weapons at their disposal each night.

Perhaps it’s not the offensive options that set the Kings apart right now, but rather their defensive versatility across the board. Think of a lineup with Bul Kuol, Izayah Le’Afa, Alex Toohey, Xavier Cooks and Cam Oliver and that is one scary proposition to score against.

Xavier Cooks.

Always rise to a challenge
There’s simply no denying it, but the loss of Jack McVeigh is a brutal one for the reigning champions.

McVeigh was outstanding last season and a major reason for the JackJumpers' success. Replacing him is borderline impossible, because his impact to the club goes far beyond his on-court production.

However, one thing that Tasmania has proven time and time again since their inception three years ago, is that they’re never afraid of a challenge. 

When they made the Championship Series in their first season, many thought they were a one hit wonder. After struggling at the beginning of the next season, they fought back and finished top four. Then once again they proved everyone wrong and with a target on their back, marched through an up and down NBL24 and came out on top. Y

You can simply never underestimate the heart and strength of this winning culture in Tasmania.

Scott Roth.