Game Preview: Panthers v Jets

Indian Panthers (0-2) v Property Brokers Manawatū Jets (1-1)

The Panthers have proven to be hard to handle in their temporary form but the revamped Jets won’t be easy to slow down with their explosive firepower. Will the Panthers find the first victory in franchise history or will the Jets continue their turnaround and march up the standings.

When: Sunday March 23, Rapid League 5:30pm, Sal’s NBL 6:30pm
Where: Pulman Arena, Takanini
Watch: Live on Sky Sport 4 | USA: ESPN3 | International: FIBA YouTube
Boxscore here

Tickets can be Purchased at Venue

Last Time Out:

The Panthers came out with energy and enthusiasm in their home opener and once again held a lead in the opening quarter behind the strong play of guards Alex Robinson (23pts, 7rbs, 5ast) and Jaylen Gerrand (29pts) before eventually succumbing to the depth and interior strength of the Bulls 93-107.

The Jets took to the road to pull out an epic win against Taranaki, 93-84, behind an early Corey Webster scoring explosion (30pts, 6ast, 3stls) and the closing of Dontae Russo-Nance (23pts, 8rbs, 5ast, 2stls).

What to Watch For:

The Panthers are slowing inching towards their planned roster, with the bulk of players to come in the next week, but for now they are dependent on Robinson and Gerrand to get the offense flowing. The lured out of retirement Leon Henry (and soon to retire again) has provided size and rebounding to go with three point shooting while Dante Matakatea has proven to be of NBL quality when given the opportunity. They excel in transition but the half court is still a work in progress.

The Jets will find the bulk of offense in the pick and roll game through their backcourt of Webster and Russo-Nance while the import trio of Miles Gibson, Kenny Goins and Eric Williams Jr work the back end of the defense with timely cuts and rim attacks off the catch of the second side of the offense. They have yet to truly place their trust in the squads depth with just one of the backups playing more than 10 minutes a game, so if the starters aren’t getting it done there aren’t many other options to call upon.

Small Sample Size Stats:

Panthers- Better efficiency is needed offensively (46% efg, 11th) but they have done a decent job of taking care of the ball (13% turnover rate, 6th) and boast a decent three point rate (41%). If the defensive rebounding (67% defensive rebounding rate, 10th) can pick up their excellent pace (88, 2nd) can be exploited to a higher degree.

Jets- The efficiency is middle of the pack (48% efg, 8th) but no team takes better care of the ball (10% turnover rate, 1st) lifting the ceiling of what they can accomplish on offense. A lack of ball movement (46% ast rate, 9th) allows the defense to stay static in the halfcourt but their swiping ways on defense (12% steal rate, 3rd)(12% block rate, 3rd) create opportunities to get out in transition before the defense sets.

Matchup to Watch: Alex Robinson v Dontae Russo-Nance- This likely matchup will pit the ball handling and quickness of Robinson up against the strong hands of Russo-Nance on many occasions. If Robinson finds his usual freedom of movement the Panthers will be able to keep it close but if Russo-Nance can shut down driving lanes and make finding passing lanes difficult the Jets will find themselves in good stead to grab their second road win in 3 tries.