1997 Melbourne Tigers season

Last updated

1997   Melbourne Tigers season
Head coach Flag of Australia (converted).svg Lindsay Gaze
Captain Flag of Australia (converted).svg Andrew Gaze
Stadium Melbourne Park, Melbourne
NBL results
Record19–11 (63.3%)
Ladder2nd
Finals finish NBL Champions
(Defeated Magic 2-1)
Stats at NBL.com.au
←  1996
1998  →

The 1997 NBL season was the 14th season for the Melbourne Tigers in the Australian-based National Basketball League. The club won its first NBL Championship after defeating the Perth Wildcats 2-1 in the Grand Final series in 1993. In 1996, the Tigers lost to cross town rival South East Melbourne Magic in the Grand Final series 1-2. A year later, they won for the second time.

Contents

The Melbourne Tigers played their home games at the 14,820 seat Rod Laver Arena.

Roster

1997 Melbourne Tigers roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.NameHt.Wt.
G/F 6 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Giddey, Warrick 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)98 kg (216 lb)
F 7 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Egan, Daniel 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in)100 kg (220 lb)
CG 8 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Gordon, Ray 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)80 kg (176 lb)
CG 10 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Gaze, Andrew  (C)2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)95 kg (209 lb)
F 11 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jeffries, Brett 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in)100 kg (220 lb)
G 13 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Chapman, Damian  (DP)1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)80 kg (176 lb)
G/F 21 Flag of the United States.svg Copeland, Lanard  (I)2.00 m (6 ft 7 in)88 kg (194 lb)
G 22 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Wickstrom, Erik  (DP)1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)75 kg (165 lb)
G/F 23 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rainbow, Brett 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)100 kg (220 lb)
F/C 31 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Smith, Blair 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in)105 kg (231 lb)
F 40 Flag of the United States.svg Timmons, Marcus  (I)2.03 m (6 ft 8 in)100 kg (220 lb)
F 44 Flag of the United States.svg Lang, Jarvis  (I)2.00 m (6 ft 7 in)100 kg (220 lb)
C 50 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bradtke, Mark 2.10 m (6 ft 11 in)120 kg (265 lb)
Head coach
  • Flag of Australia (converted).svg Lindsey Gaze
Assistant coach(es)
  • Flag of Australia (converted).svg Al Westover
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (I) Import player
  • Cruz Roja.svg Injured

Depth chart

Pos.Starting 5Bench 1Bench 2Reserves
C Mark Bradtke Blair Smith
PF Marcus Timmons Brett Jeffries Jarvis Lang
SF Warrick Giddey Daniel Egan
SG Lanard Copeland Brett Rainbow
PG Andrew Gaze Ray Gordon Erik Wickstorm Daniel Chapman

Ladder

Pos 1997 NBL season
Team Pld W L PCT Last 5 Streak Home Away PF PA PP
1 South East Melbourne Magic 3022873.33%4–1W112–310–528502662107.06%
2 Melbourne Tigers 30191163.33%5–0W139–610–530923028102.11%
3 North Melbourne Giants 30181260.00%3–2L19–69–629432881102.15%
4 Perth Wildcats 30171356.67%3–2W210–57–829332825103.82%
5 Brisbane Bullets 130151550.00%2–3L310–55–102731278698.03%
6 Canberra Cannons 130151550.00%4–1W311–44–1127892773100.58%
7 Adelaide 36ers 230141646.67%1–4L47–87–829732922101.75%
8 Townsville Suns 230141646.67%0–5L69–65–1030843015102.29%
9 Newcastle Falcons 330121840.00%2–3L17–85–102995317394.39%
10 Sydney Kings 330121840.00%1–4L38–74–112938299198.23%
11 Illawarra Hawks 3072323.33%2–3W24–113–122906317891.44%

Updated to match(es) played on 29 September 1997. Source: NBL.com.au

The NBL tie-breaker system as outlined in the NBL Rules and Regulations states that in the case of an identical win–loss record, the results in games played between the teams will determine order of seeding.

Player statistics

Regular season

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage 3P%  3-point field-goal percentage FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game APG  Assists per game SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game PPG  Points per game
No.PlayerGPGSMPGPPGFG%3FG%3PFT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOV
6 Warrick Giddey 303031.243.38.60.000.0.654.63.50.630.131.8
7 Daniel Egan 2408.903.0.48.330.8.600.00.00.80.30.2
8 Ray Gordon 30017.404.77.33.271.0.751.01.00.60.00.5
10 Andrew Gaze 303048.0031.68.52.394.0.864.66.71.40.44.5
11 Brett Jeffries 1107.542.45.30.000.0.751.20.40.00.21.0
13 Damien Chapman 203.711.0.25.000.0.001.00.00.00.00.5
21 Lanard Copeland 303042.0022.8.44.383.0.804.63.12.00.72.4
22 Erik Wickstrom 803.440.30.17.0000.0.000.30.30.00.00.0
23 Brett Rainbow 1104.500.92.44.200.1.250.10.270.00.00.0
31Blair Smith281022.306.47.56.000.0.544.72.10.20.60.4
40 Marcus Timmons 171738.8416.82.50.380.6.739.33.71.71.53.1
44 Jarvis Lang 8842.3019.1.50.0000.0.699.12.00.90.94.6
50 Mark Bradtke 252544.2020.36.50.0000.0.6912.62.50.91.82.6

Team leaders

Finals

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage 3P%  3-point field-goal percentage FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game APG  Assists per game SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game PPG  Points per game
No.PlayerGPGSMPGPPGFG%3FG%3PGFT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOV
6 Warrick Giddey 5533.961.4.370.00.0.755.80.20.40.62.0
7 Daniel Egan 404.903.0.48.330.5.600.50.50.00.10.0
8 Ray Gordon 508.843.4.33.271.0.751.01.00.10.60.2
10 Andrew Gaze 5547.2926.20.52.394.2.884.58.20.40.34.0
11 Brett Jeffries 204.602.0.33.000.0.661.00.50.00.01.5
14 Lanard Copeland 5540.0023.8.44.382.4.804.23.82.00.62.4
23 Brett Rainbow 203.261.5.37.200.00.00.50.00.00.00.5
31Blair Smith5013.412.0.53.000.0.504.00.30.10.50.0
40 Marcus Timmons 5541.3819.6.50.400.6.7310.42.81.21.43.4
50 Mark Bradtke 5546.0020.60.51.000.0.7411.22.50.71.82.2

Team leaders

Awards

NBL award winners

Season summary

Regular season

The 1997 Melbourne Tigers were determined to go one better and avenge their Grand Final loss to the South East Melbourne magic in 1996. Melbourne let go longtime import Dave Simmons after eight years and one championship with the power forward. In Simmons' place they signed import forward Jarvis Lang.

The Tigers had a slow start to the season, starting off the season at 4-9. There was talk in the Herald Sun about sacking the team's long-term head coach Lindsey Gaze, but it was the import Jarvis Lang, who was dealing with knee soreness and struggling to learn the Tigers' shuffle offense, that was let go. In turn the Tigers turned the season around by winning 16 straight games 17-1 during the end of the regular season and finals.

The Tigers went from second last at 4-9 on the ladder during the start of the season to finishing in second place at 19-11, with a 13-game winning streak to end the regular season. The Tigers were meant to finish the regular season with a 20-10 record, but because of some paper work that wasn’t finalized, the league stripped the Tigers of a win over in round 3 against the 36ers. As expected, the team was led by Andrew Gaze, who had one of his best shooting seasons of his career, averaging just on 4 3 point field goals made making 143 for the season, whilst averaging his typical over 30 points per game and over 6 assists. Alongside him in the back court, Lanard Copeland averaged his typical over 22 points for the season, whilst big man Mark Bradtke anchored down low averaging 20 points over 12 rebounds. Timmons averaged over 17 points and over 8 rebounds. Andrew Gaze would be named MVP, and he and Mark Bradtke would be named to All-First NBL team, whilst Andrew Gaze and Mark Bradtke were named to the All-Star game.

Semi-finals

Along with the 1st placed South East Melbourne Magic, the Tigers were given a bye in the quarter-finals. In their three-game semi-final against the 3rd placed North Melbourne Giants there was little resistance, sweeping them in two games. The Tigers would be moving on to their second consecutive grand final appearance. Andrew Gaze was outstanding in the semi-finals, averaging 36.5 points and 9.5 assists per game. Ahead of the Tigers was cross town rival South East Melbourne Magic, the same team that they had lost to the year before in the deciding game 3.

NBL grand final

The Tigers' opponents in the 1997 NBL Grand Final would again be the South East Melbourne Magic, the same team that beat the Tigers in the previous grand final in game 3. All three of the games would be held at Melbourne Park, game 3 if needed. Similar to the Tigers the Magic swept their previous round of the finals.

Game 1 was a beat down from the Tigers, who were on full attack from the beginning, never trailing in the game and winning 111-74. Larand Copeland was the game's high scorer with 29, whilst Gaze added 23 and 9 assists. Frank Drimc was top scorer with 12 for the Magic. [1]

Similarly to the year before after dropping the first game, Game 2 was a lot better for the Magic. They started veteran John Dorge over the young Chris Anstey. The Magic bounced back to beat the Tigers, winning the close game to even the series at 1-1 and forcing a game 3 for the second straight year against the Magic and Tigers. The scores were 84-78 with Chris Anstey bouncing back from an average game one dropping 21 points in game 2. Lanard Copeland was the Tigers' high scorer with 28. [2]

For the second straight year the Melbourne Tigers played the South East Melbourne Magic in game 3 to decide who would win the championship. The Melbourne Tigers won the NBL championship with a score line of 93-83, the top scorer again being Larand Copeland with 26 points; Gaze added 22 and 9 assists. Lanard Copeland was named Most Valuable Player, and Andrew Gaze won his second championship ring. [3]

Game 1

October 25th
12:00 p.m. EST
[1] Box score
South East Melbourne Magic 74, Melbourne Tigers 111
Scoring by quarter: 20-29, 17-32, 14-17, 23-33
Pts: Frank Drimc 12
Rebs: Frank Drimc 11
Asts: Sam Mackinnon 4		Pts: Larnad Copeland 29
Rebs: Mark Bradtke 9
Asts: Andrew Gaze 9
Melbourne leads series, 1–0
Melbourne Park
Referees: Bill Mildenhall, Ray Hunt, Scott Butler

Game 2

October 29th
12:00 p.m. EST
[2] Box score
Melbourne Tigers 78, South East Melbourne Magic 84
Scoring by quarter:25-21, 22-24, 19-20, 12-19
Pts: Lanard Copeland 29
Rebs: Marcus timmons 12
Asts: Andrew Gaze 5		Pts: Chris Anstey 21
Rebs: Mike Kelly 10
Asts: Sam Mackinnon 6
Series tied, 1–1
Melbourne Park
Referees: Bill Mildenhall, Eddie Crouch, Michael Butler

Game 3

September 1st
12:00 p.m. EST
[3] Box score
South East Melbourne Magic 83, Melbourne Tigers 93
Scoring by quarter: 21-25, 15-25, 19-20, 28-23
Pts: Tony Ronaldson 26
Rebs: Frank Drimc 9
Asts: Sam Mackinnon 6		Pts: Larnad Copeland 26
Rebs: Marcus Timmons 13
Asts: Andrew Gaze 9
Melbourne wins series and NBL Championship, 2–1
Grand Final MVP: Lanard Copeland (Melbourne)
Melbourne Park
Referees: Bill Mildenhall , Ray Hunt, Scott Butler

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References

  1. 1 2 "National Basketball League (NBL) Match Centre - SportsTG". Websites.sportstg.com. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  2. 1 2 "National Basketball League (NBL) Match Centre - SportsTG". Websites.sportstg.com. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  3. 1 2 "National Basketball League (NBL) Match Centre - SportsTG". Websites.sportstg.com. Retrieved 27 June 2018.

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