What Channel Is the Nbl on Tonight
The NBL 2021-22 season returns this summer and there is plenty for Australian basketball fans to be excited about.
After much delay because of COVID-19, this year's NBL fixtures have finally been released for its 44th season.
All 10 teams will battle it out for the Dr. John Raschke Trophy. It will be shorter season with 140 games instead of the usual 162 due to complications with the global pandemic.
One of Australia's favourite NBA players returns home to Melbourne and there is another high profile addition to NBL's Next Stars program.
With the new season just over a month away, here's everything you need to know ahead of the 2021-22 NBL campaign.
When does the NBL 2021-22 season start?
The NBL regular season will start on December 3, 2021 and finish on April 24, 2022.
With the finals to tip off following the season at a date yet-to-determined.
Kicking off the series will be the Tasmania JackJumpers vs. Adelaide 36ers at Mystate Bank Arena, Hobart
What are the NBL 2021-22 fixtures?
Opening round
| Date | Time | Game | Location | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 3 Dec | 7:30 pm AEDT | Tasmania JackJumpers v Adelaide 36ers | Mystate Bank Arena | ESPN Australia |
| Fri 3 Dec | 9:30 pm AEDT | Perth Wildcats v Brisbane Bullets | RAC Arena | ESPN Australia |
| Sat 4 Dec | 5:30 pm AEDT | S.E Melbourne Phoenix v Illawarra Hawks | John Cain Arena | ESPN Australia |
| Sat 4 Dec | 8:00 pm AEDT | Cairns Taipans v New Zealand Breakers | Cairns Convention Centre | ESPN Australia |
| Sun 5 Dec | 1:00 pm AEDT | Adelaide 36ers v Brisbane Bullets | Adelaide Entertainment Centre | ESPN Australia / 10 Peach |
| Sun 5 Dec | 3:00 pm AEDT | Sydney Kings v Melbourne United | Qudos Bank Arena | ESPN Australia/ 10 Peach |
See the full NBL fixture here
How to watch the NBL 2021-22 season?
Every game of the NBL 2021-22 season is live and in HD via ESPN on Foxtel.
All games aired on ESPN, will also be available on Kayo Sports. To catch every NBL game, join Kayo for FREE for 14 days.
Fans can also watch two NBL matches every Sunday on 10 Peach free-to-air, which is also streamed live on 10 Play.
Who are the players to watch in the NBL?
Matthew Dellavedova (Melbourne United)
Dellavedova has returned back to Australia to play for Melbourne United this season. After an eight-year career in the NBA, which saw him play in Cleveland and Milwaukee, the Aussie is back Down Under.
The 31-year-old was a pivotal player in the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers championship win, as well as being a part of the Boomers' Olympic bronze medallist team at Tokyo 2021. The versatile point guard will be an important addition to former champion Melbourne United's roster for the next three seasons.
Let's go @MelbUnitedHQ !! #NBL22 https://t.co/RBKqns4OzG
— Matthew Dellavedova (@matthewdelly) October 12, 2021
Michael Frazier (Perth Wildcats)
The Wildcats have added former Houston Rockets shooting guard Michael Frazier to their roster.
The 27-year-old's NBA experience could be what the Wildcats need to get redemption for last season's final loss to Melbourne United.
Wildcats coach Scott Morrison has high expectations for Frazier, with the attributes that the American athlete brings to the team.
"A player of Michael's calibre and versatility has no problem fitting into any system," Morrison said.
"Adding those traits to our roster will make us an even deeper team on the perimeter while helping us have flexibility with our line-ups, and how we attack."
Chuanxing Liu (Brisbane Bullets)/Zhou Qi (SE Melbourne Phoenix)
There will be a battle of two giant centres, when Brisbane Bullets and SE Melbourne Phoenix face off in January next year.
The Bullets picked up Chinese centre Chuanxing Liu, who stands at 226cm, while the Phoenix signed his 221cm-tall compatriot Zhou Qi.
Both of the centres play for the China's national team and will prove trouble under the rim.
Bryce Cotton (Perth Wildcats)
The three-time NBL champion and league MVP has been excellent since signing for Perth in 2017.
In the 2020/21 season, Cotton averaged 23 points and six assists in each game. Cotton would suffer a knee injury however that would cut the most recent campaign short.
Cotton has recovered from his injury and told media he is ready is go when the season commences in December.
"I'm myself again," Cotton said. "It's very exciting.
"Any time you go through an injury, especially that requires surgery, there's a thought you try not to give too much attention to, but it floats in the back of your mind, am I going to fully recover?
"But our staff did a great job with me. We put plans in place and I made sure I stayed disciplined and did what they told me to do. My body is good again so I am happy as ever."
How is the NBL 2021-22 finals series structured?
The NBL finals series will be played following the 2021-22 regular season which ends on April 24, 2022.
The top-four ranked teams at the season's end will compete in the semi-finals via a best-of-three game series.
Seed one will play against seed four, while seed two and seed three face off.
The two winners of each semi-final will battle it out in the final via a best-of-three game series.
The NBL 2021-22 champions will be rewarded with the Dr. John Raschke Trophy.
What are the NBL 2021-22 betting odds?
To win the NBL championship
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Perth Wildcats | $3.75 |
| Sydney Kings | $4.50 |
| Melbourne United | $4.50 |
| SE Melbourne Phoenix | $5.00 |
| Illawarra Hawks | $7.50 |
| NZ Breakers | $21.00 |
| Cairns Taipans | $23.00 |
| Brisbane Bullets | $23.00 |
| Adelaide 36ers | $29.00 |
| Tasmania JackJumpers | $67.00 |
Odds courtesy of Ladbrokes
Who are the NBL's newest team - the Tasmania JackJumpers?
Tasmania will finally have a team in the NBL after a long 25-year break from the Australian competition.
The JackJumpers will be the 10th team in the NBL and will be playing out of Hobart and Launceston.
Named after one of Australia's creatures which is mostly found in Tasmania, a jack jumper is an ant with a possible deadly sting that causes allergic reactions in some people.
The team's name has copped flack from Australian basketball legend Chris Anstey.
The @NBL takes a great step back into Tasmania, then calls them the Jack Jumpers? My goodness 🤦🏻♂️
— Chris Anstey (@ChrisAnstey13) September 30, 2020
What is the NBL's Next Stars program?
NBL's Next Stars program continues to go from strength-to-strength, with a host of talented players making their way Down Under to play in the NBL this season.
The Next Stars program provides players with an alternative pathway than playing college basketball to prepare for the NBA Draft. Recently drafted players are also eligible for the program, to be stashed in the NBL for the season.
American superstar LaMelo Ball played for the Illawarra Hawks in the 2019-2020 season through this program before making a switch to the NBA.
French 18-year-old NBA prospect Ousmane Dieng is signed to the New Zealand Breakers this season. The 200cm small forward could be a potential superstar in the NBA. He could be the signing that helps the Breakers win their first title since 2013.
What Channel Is the Nbl on Tonight
Source: https://www.sportingnews.com/au/basketball/news/nbl-2021-22-season-when-how-to-watch-tv-times-schedule-broadcast-teams-betting-odds/ed9x3yfv123z1kn1ap9eote2o