NBL poll endorses McLeod as top coach

By Mike Driscoll
Updated November 6 2012 - 1:39am, first published January 16 2012 - 10:32am

It's been a season to forget for the Hawks but an NBL poll has overwhelmingly endorsed Gordie McLeod as the coach opposition players most want to play for, aside from their existing coach.The NBL’s Player’s Choice Poll sought the opinions of more than 70 players on a host of topics from the league’s best athlete and defender, to best trash-talker, most enthusiastic fans and first choice of coach, other than their present one.

  • Full coverage of the Hawks Representing all clubs, a massive 44 per cent of players polled said they would like to play for a McLeod-coached team if they were not at their present club. Gold Coast coach Joey Wright polled 20 per cent as most favoured ‘‘other’’ coach, while championship-winning Breakers coach Andrej Lemanis earned 10percent of the vote. Given how poor the Hawks have performed this season, significant player changes can be expected next season, with the poll showing that in McLeod (pictured), Wollongong have a coach highly regarded by rival players. The poll was conducted by the NBL over two months and quizzed players over a number of topics - serious and otherwise. While players generally give a robotic response when asked about which team will win the NBL - with the security of anonymity - the poll suggests the championship is a two-horse race between New Zealand and Perth, in a rematch of last season’s grand final. Both teams received 43 per cent of the vote, with Melbourne Tigers a distant third on 10 per cent. Acrobatic Breakers star Tom Abercrombie took out the Best Athlete and Best Dunker award for the second consecutive year, while his New Zealand team-mate CJ Bruton won his second consecutive Trash Talking nomination with 21percent of votes. The other repeat winners in this year’s poll included Perth’s Damian Martin as Best Passer, Best Defender and Best Sportsman. Hawks veteran Mat Campbell, along with Stephen Hoare (Gold Coast) tied for second in the Best Sportsman category, each polling 11 per cent, while New Zealand Breakers’ Mika Vukona easily defended his Best Rebounding title, beating Jacob Holmes with 48 per cent.Sydney Kings’ first-year sensation Anatoly Bose was the clear choice for Rookie of the Year with 57 per cent of votes.Kings big man Julian Khazzouh won the Toughest Player to Guard in the Paint, while Vukona narrowly beat out Martin as Best Hustler.Perth’s Challenge Stadium is the toughest venue to play in and Most Vocal. Sydney Entertainment Centre was named Best Venue. Perhaps surprisingly, given Illawarra’s basketball tradition, players polled did not rate our fans among the most knowledgeable. The most astute fans belonged to Perth (34 per cent), Adelaide (30 per cent) and Melbourne (19 per cent).
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