It's been a rough few years for the Southland Sharks - a lot of swimming in circles, but very little bite when in attack mode. Can h mighty force of the south find their bite in 2025?
2024 Result: 4-16 (1oth)
Head Coach: Jonathan Yim (1st season)
Departed: Coach Guy Molloy (Sydney Flames WNBL), Callum McRae (Giants), Scott Telfer (Airs), Marcale Lotts (import), Cooper Robb (import), Ben Hall, Brayden Inger (TBC), Andrew Wheeler, Connor Coll, Matariki Kapea.
Incoming: Coach Jonathan Yim, Jack Ramage, Johnny Helu, Dane Bertinshaw (Airs), TuKaha Cooper (Tuatara), Keylan Boone (USA, import), Sam Timmins (Bulls), Hayden Collier, Josiah Allick (USA, import), Will Leger (Tuatara).
Predicted Starters: Caleb Asberry, Alonzo Burton, Keylan Boone, Josiah Allick, Sam Timmins (note that Timmins isn't likely to be available at the start of the season).
X-Factor: Caleb Asberry
Watch For: Sam Timmins (once he joins, his pairing with Asberry will be fun to watch)
Wanted Headline: Shark Attack ... Guess Who Has Their Bite Back?
Unwanted Headline: Oh No, The Shark Tank Is Full Of Goldfish Again
The Straight Shot
After abstaining from the 2020 Showdown, the Sharks made the Final 4 in 2021, but the slope has been a slippery one over the last three years with no further playoff appearances and a lowly 16-40 record ... a far cry from the force that won championships in 2013, 2015 and 2018.
Two quality Australian coaches have come and gone, plenty of import movement has been frustrating to watch, and the local talent pool, though developing, has been shallow at best.
However, the best thing about a new season is it comes with renewed optimism and opportunities, and that’s exactly where the Sharks sit heading into 2025. This is an organisation accepting of its need to improve, and to develop more homegrown talent - and while the former can be done quicker, that latter has made its way up the Sharks' priority list.
Pleasingly, the Sharks have hardly sat idle since last July and amongst a number of moves they have signed respected NBA assistant coach Jonathan Yim to the top job. He looks a good choice.
Recruiting shows a blend of old and new, plus a few more developing locals who look set to be exposed to Rapid League - which can only be a good thing for the future. No word yet on Braydon Inger or Ben Hall, so maybe some late movement is on the cards - but both players would be great to hang on to.
The return of import Caleb Asberry is astute - his second half of season when moved to the shooting guard position (after the arrival of point guard Cooper Robb) was as a good as any player in the league. Asberry’s athleticism, speed, and nose for the ball is exactly what the Sharks need. Question is, based on the roster they have assembled, can they keep playing Asberry as an off-guard, or will he be required for more ball-carrying duties?
There aren’t too many areas Coach Lim will leave untouched, this is a team that needed a shake-up and must lift across the board. Scoring, rebounding, defending ... you name it, a lift is needed everywhere.
But it's not just on the court that improvement is needed. The Shark Tank needs to return to being a fortress, and the fans need to reignite their passion, get their orange on and fill the stands. When Sharks fans come out in numbers they represent one of the loudest and ardent fan bases in the league.
If the Shark Tank is a rockin’ … don’t bother knockin’ … because you’ll get your hand bitten off.
This Sharks team needs to be ruthless at ILT Stadium Southland and Sharks fans needs to let every opposition team know they are in for a tough time. If collectively the team, and the fans, can bring their A-games, then wins will ultimately follow.
Look for strong forward imports Keylan Boone and Josiah Allick to impose their strength - the Sharks hierarchy love a strong forward - while an incoming Sam Timmins (mid-season is the word) more than makes up for the loss of Callum McRae back to the Nelson Giants.
Can the Sharks get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2021? A lot will need to go right, but the pillars are definately in place to make it happen.
Predictions
Justin Nelson: I like he changes the Sharks have made, and really like their added focus on youngsters for the future, but the question remains as to whether or not the top-end talent will be good enough for playoffs? The return of Asberry is clever, the explosive guard really started to find his feet over the second half of 2024 and a second shot in NZ is warranted. Alonzo Burton is as solid as they come, and the inclusion of some northern youngsters (Cooper and Leger) will provide them with a heap of opportunity. Look out for Dane Bertinshaw as well, the kid can play. When Timmins arrives he will be a game-changer, it just comes down to how the team is sitting (wins/losses) at that point. For me, how far the Sharks will go comes down to what import forwards Keylan Boone and Josiah Allick can produce. Coach Yim is confident in his choices, and if Boone and Allick can complement Burton, Asberry and Timmins, we might well see the Sharks storm home over the second half of the season and sneak into the top 6. The biggest question mark is depth - it looms as being problematic.
Casey Frank: The Sharks have made some moves to see if they can stop swimming in the kiddie pool to which they have been contained of late. Promising signs to end last season, where the team continued to chase wins and play hard after an early season sputter kept them from ever really being in the postseason race. A new coach has brought in some new local talent from up north which is promising for a team who hasn't been able to find a bevy of contributors outside of imports but Bertinshaw, Cooper and Leger have all showed promise in limited outings and look to carry heavier loads this season. Speaking of imports Coach Yim seems to have the background that will be able to find the type of high-level imports that can thrive in the Sal's NBL so confidence is high that Boon and Allick will be able to hold the fort on the interior until big Sam Timmins makes it down from Japan. Without Timmins they will need to have a strong finish and while starting the season with 6 of 9 games on the road doesn't make things easy, it does let them play 7 of 9 at home in the middle of the season. If Caleb Asberry is closer to the player he was the second half of the year and they can hold fort till Timmins makes it back this looks like a team that be in the mix for 6, but they need to find a local core of contributors to make the Shark Tank a place teams coming for a swim in '25.
