The Mid-Season Wishlist

The FIBA Break provides teams with an excellent opportunity to address key deficiencies from the early stages of the season.

It also serves as a chance for some teams to hit the reset button, freshen up, and return with a positive mindset for the rounds ahead.

Let’s take a look at one potential wish for each team during this break.

Adelaide – Find some defence
Adelaide has been one of the most entertaining teams so far this season. The 36ers have shown that their best can compete for a championship, but their defence remains a significant concern.

Adelaide ranks ninth in defensive rating (118.4) and has allowed over 100 points in six of its 11 games. The 36ers lost five of those six games, with their sole win coming by just two points over Illawarra.

Adelaide concedes the most points per game (94.4) and has only held teams under 90 points three times. With defensive talents like Sunday Dech and Isaac Humphries, the 36ers need to figure out how to bring it all together on that end of the floor.

Brisbane – Unleash James Batemon
Brisbane needs to capitalise on the brilliance of James Batemon, especially after his recent 51-point game. The stats show how vital he is to their success: in the four games Brisbane has won, Batemon scored over 20 points. In their six losses, he failed to reach 20 and struggled to make an impact.

The Bullets rank third in points in the paint (40.4) and second in second-chance points (14.8). The offensive framework is there, but consistency from Batemon could make all the difference.

Cairns – Health
The Taipans have struggled due to injuries and haven’t been at full strength since Round 3, when they defeated Tasmania by 12 points. Even then, it was during that game when Tanner Groves first got injured. Shortly after, Taran Armstrong sustained an injury in their game against Melbourne two days later. Since that, another signifcant blow to import Pedro Bradshaw, a suspension for Rob Edwards and this Cairns team has not completed a full game this season with every available player. 

The FIBA break offers Cairns a chance to reset, get healthy, and refocus after a tough start to NBL25.

Illawarra – Get Darius Days back to early-season form
Illawarra entered the break sitting third on the ladder after a big win against Sydney. The Hawks started the season strong, winning five of their first six games, but dropped three of their next four, before bouncing back in Round 9.

A key area of concern is the decline in Darius Days’ performance. After scoring in double-figures in the first five games (including three double-digit rebound games), he has only reached that mark once in his last six games and hasn’t exceeded 8 rebounds. If the Hawks can get Days firing again, their offence could return to the potent level seen earlier in the season.

Melbourne – Find minutes for Flynn Cameron
The ladder-leading Melbourne United has been dominant with 10 wins from 14 games. United boast the second-best offensive rating (118.1) and have been strong defensively, except for a poor showing against New Zealand in Round 7.

One standout has been backup guard Flynn Cameron, who has thrived when Matthew Dellavedova or Shea Ili missed games. Cameron delivered back-to-back career highs in Round 6 and has continued to impress, but finding him consistent minutes in a packed guard rotation will be key to sustaining his breakout form.

New Zealand – Find an advantage with Tacko Fall
The reported addition of Tacko Fall creates a unique opportunity for the Breakers. Standing at 2.29m, Fall is nine centimetres taller than the next tallest NBL player, Rocco Zikarsky. Fall’s size could be a game-changer, particularly against teams with smaller lineups. However, integrating him into the team’s system will require balance, especially alongside MVP candidate Parker Jackson-Cartwright, who stands just 1.8m tall. The Breakers need to leverage Fall’s height while maintaining cohesion.

Perth – Defensive consistency
The Wildcats have excelled offensively, averaging nearly 90 points per game and ranking second in rebounds. However, their defensive consistency has been lacking, as they rank seventh in defensive rating (115.8). Perth concedes a league-high 16.3 points off turnovers and the second-most paint points (41.5).

On the bright side, they've held opponents to under 20 points in at least one quarter in 10 of their 13 games, showing glimpses of their defensive potential. Building on those moments will be critical.

South East Melbourne – Figure out rotations when at full strength
Under Sam Mackinnon and Josh King, the Phoenix have become one of the league’s form teams. Since round five, they’ve won five of eight games and emerged as a top defensive team. During this stretch, Derrick Walton Jr. missed time with a hamstring injury, which allowed players like Angus Glover and Malique Lewis to shine.

With the team now healthy, King faces a challenge in managing rotations. Joe Wieskamp, for instance, recorded a DNP in their last game against Perth. The Phoenix must figure out their lineups to remain a genuine contender for a top-four spot.

Sydney Kings – Put together 40 minutes
Sydney’s roster construction drew significant attention in the off-season, and expectations are understandably high. The Kings have shown flashes of brilliance, but also inconsistency. They’ve scored over 90 points in only three games and relied heavily on their league-best defense (105.8 defensive rating) to bail them out. Offensively, they rank seventh (110.8), leaving room for improvement.

When Sydney plays to its full potential, they look every bit like the championship contender many predicted.

Tasmania – Get Doyle and Crawford firing together
The JackJumpers have the league’s worst offensive rating (102.5) and, until recently, were enduring one of the worst offensive stretches since 2013. Despite back-to-back wins over New Zealand and Brisbane, the inconsistency of Milton Doyle and Jordon Crawford remains an issue. In one game, Crawford scored 19 points while Doyle managed just three. In another, Doyle exploded for 31 points while Crawford had 11 on 36 per cent shooting. The duo has scored double figures in the same game only five times this season and surpassed 15 points together just twice.

Getting their key pair firing in sync will be crucial to Tasmania’s success moving forward.