It's the 'Ben Knight Allstars'!

By Ryan Mobilia

Let me start by saying. I like Ben Knight, I like him as a player, and the career he has had. This column could easily have used a number of different NBL players to head line it name but I chose Knight out of respect. Sure, I have created this team and idea demonstrate the necessity of players in the League such as Ben Knight, but also to point out that to build a championship team - you need more.

31 year old Knight has played at 8 different stops around the league in his career, for 7 teams. Statistically peaking at 19pts and 10rbds per game in 2001, with career averages of 11 and 6. It could easily be called the Aaron "Good at two things: Shooting Threes and drinking bourbon!" Trahair Allstars - Knights current team mate in Singapore. But Knight imbodies that all around help out guy, who you can not win a title without.

The Ben Knight Allstars Line - glue guys that are complimentary and rarely anything more, certainly not franchise players (at least at the current stages of their careers.) Although capable of great numbers, on certain nights, generally they float around third leader on the team in most catagories. In conclusion, great teammates when the have stars around them. See: Ben Knight, Sydney Kings Era. But struggle as a first or second option, See: Scott McGregor, West Sydney Era. Sometimes it also takes a player a while figure out that they are starting five material for the Ben Knight Allstars, with a lot of things in life it is trial and era. The perfect example is our good friend Russell Hinder, who went from being the perfect compliment player in West Sydney, to more of a go to guy in the struggling Hunter Pirates out fit. Goorjian, the Sydney Kings and Rusty himself believed he was more than just a role player, but this past season saw him struggle as a focal point, and then finally thrive in a lesser position.

A "BK Allstar" is the ultimate wing-man. Who will, in the parlance of pop culture at the moment, "Take one for the team" for the greater good. Like a female at a bar who is willing to field the questions and advances towards their more attractive girlfriend, so she can be somewhat alone with the man of her choice, (perhaps a celebrity). Giving her friend time to work her magic and get them all invited to the exclusive after party for some show... A Ben Knight Allstar, will do what it takes to get to the promised land if coupled with a star. But left alone he (she) would settle for the newest offer on the table, never quite getting to the next level of sucess until, a "friend"/"teammate" pairs with them!

In the past two seasons it has been proven that Championships need "Ben Knight" allstars on their squad to win it all. Could the Tigers have one without Mottram and Hoare in 2006, or the Bullets without Mick Hill and Dillon Boucher? I seriously doubt.

Once again thier is nothing with BK Allstars but they will never be the crowd drawers of teams number one options. This is whay the Gold Coast Blaze are yet to excite me even the slightest, They are currently trotting out the ultimate BK Allstars starting five so far...

- Ben "As long as new teams keep coming in desperate for Aussies, I could play till I'm fifty" Melmeth

- Pero "Krispy Kreme" Cameron

- Scotty "Not the attractive one from Temptation" McGregor

- Casey "Another Kiwi" Frank

- "Hawk" Hawkins, 37 years old or something (import) "The Dmac of the Philo League!"

Average age of team so far 30+ ... Only time will tell, and if this comes together I will stand corrected.

NBL Finals - Let's Get It On!!

Game Two of the NBL Grand Final tied the series at 1-1, with an stunning victory by the raining champion Melbourne Tigers. It also ended the amazing winning streak of the Brisbane Bullets at 21 games, sending a message to the favored boys from Brisvegas, that "you can never underestimate the heart of a champion!" Trailing by double figures at the half, the Tigers came out and attacked like their name sakes would a wounded gazelle, erasing the deficit and in the process building a 14 point lead of their own. Lead by imports Rashad Tucker and Dave Thomas (see inset), along with the devastating alround skill of Chris "Superman" Anstey... the game was put beyond doubt.

Although I have a few worries about the rest of the "best of five" and here they are...

1. The Tigers still struggle to handle the full court pressure of the Bullets. Nate Crosswell is being monstered everytime he touches the ball.

2. The Tigers are yet to see Ebi Ere and Dusty Reichart really heat up in the Finals, which they will do at some stage.

3. David Stiff is so hit and miss these days that if he has one of those nights where Al can only play him for 10 minutes the others, the Bullets are effectively playing a 10 on 8 in terms of rotation, putting more and more pressure on the aging Tigers.

4. CJ Bruton, would love nothing more than to knock off the Tigers, for numerous reasons, and is completely capable of doing so, distributing the ball to an array of shooters dying to get their points.
and finally...

5. Sam Mackinnon - what can I say, Defence, Rebounding, Scoring and Leadership... he does it all, very easily...

GO TIGERS.

"I'm Keith Hernandez"

• Keith Hernandez Status

By Bill Simmons

When an athlete reaches "I'm Keith Hernandez" status and their confidence becomes simply outrageous -- that's when you know someone is in the zone. That was one of my favorite Larry Bird moments, the Dallas game in '86 when they were down two on TBS with like 10 seconds left, so he pulled up in the open court and drained a crazy running 3, with the implicit understanding being, "You know what? This is a ridiculous shot, but I'm Larry Bird and I'm on national TV, and I can do things like this."




Now in my humble opionion The Mamba, after so many great moments throughout the last season, has finally reached it! In Phil Jackson's new book, titled "Mamba: My season coaching a the man who nicknamed himself after a deadly Python." It is revealed that after hitting 61 points in three quarters against the Mavs, he was seen to be grooming his mustache and blowing cigarette smoke in players faces... and as he soon after tore apart the Rapters for that 81 point outing, he had taken his own love for himself and his abilities to that level. Not needing to prove himself anymore after an almost miraclous play off series victory he has decided to pull out of the World Champs for team USA... without even contemplating consultating with the coach. Clearly he knew "I'm Keith Hernandez!"

What has become of our Boomers...

Can he be a star?...

With Brian Goorjian taking the reins of the national team, and seemingly throwing in every Sydney Kings player available to his squad, it shouldn't really come as a surprise to see that he has included his newest off season recruit Russell "9 & 9" Hinder, in the final team of 12 for the upcoming World Champs. In one sense his inclusion makes sense given the enormous amount of injury and other such things, forcing out the cream of the Aussie basketball crop. And of course no one is claiming that his "game MVP like Steve Nash!" But what is it? He has never been a stand out player, even on his own team - which invariably have been among the poorest in the competition for years, colminating with his last season with the 'Pirates'. Below is a thoery floating around that helps to explain, just how far behind the eight ball he is...

It is known as the...





The Jeremy Piven Phenomenon

When you're acting in the same movie with this many non-actors, the Jeremy Piven Phenomenon takes hold. You know how everyone keeps saying how brilliant Piven is on "Entourage?" Well, he's sharing screen time with the likes of Adrian Grenier and the bully from "Rocky V" -- he's good, but he's not that good. Those guys make him look like a young Pacino.

Hopefully you can see how this relates to our man Turtle... er Russell, and demonstrates just how far behind he is...




Now, if he can't even stand out amongst his teammates (or Entourage), which are consistently below playoff standard, HOW DOES HE MAKE THE SQUAD you may ask? Nothing against the guy personally, but clearly Goorj has just a bit too much power. I wonder what happens after the W.C...

Japan, here I come!