The 2011–12 NBL season was the 34th season of competition since its establishment in 1979. A total of nine teams contested the league. The regular season was played between 7 October 2011 and 25 March 2012, followed by a post-season involving the top four in April 2012. The schedule was announced on 19 May 2011. The New Zealand Breakers successfully defended their 2010–2011 title.
Broadcast rights were held by free-to-air network Channel Ten and its digital sports sister station One, in the second year of a five-year deal, through to the 2014–15 season. In New Zealand, Sky Sport once again provided coverage.
Sponsorship included iiNet entering its second and penultimate year as league naming rights sponsor and Centrebet in the final year as the official sports betting partner. Spalding provided equipment including the official game ball, with AND1 supplying team apparel and New Era headwear.
Pre-season NBL Sunshine State Challenge, a round robin competition with a final series, involving all nine sides, was held between September 22–24, 2011 in Rockhampton, Ipswich, on the Gold Coast and Brisbane. Perth Wildcats were pre-season champions for the second year in a row.
New Zealand Breakers pre-season
Gold Coast Blaze pre-season
Cairns Taipans pre-season
2011 China Intercontinental Club Championship
Final
Sydney Kings pre-season
Melbourne Tigers pre-season
Wollongong Hawks pre-season
Perth Wildcats pre-season
2011 Cable Beach Invitational
Perth vs. Singapore cancelled due to poor condition of the outdoor court.
Townsville Crocodiles pre-season
Adelaide 36ers pre-season
2011 NBL Sunshine State Challenge
Finals
Perth Wildcats win Sunshine State Challenge.
Regular season
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
Round 8
Round 9
Round 10
Round 11
Round 12
Round 13
Round 14
Round 15
Round 16
Round 17
Round 18
Round 19
Round 20
Round 21
Round 22
Round 23
Round 24
Round 25
Ladder
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.
1Head-to-head between Townsville Crocodiles and Cairns Taipans (2-2). Townsville Crocodiles won For and Against (+51).
2Melbourne Tigers won head-to-head (3-1).
Finals
The 2011–12 National Basketball League Finals were played between 30 March 2012 and 25 April 2012, consisting of two best-of-three semi-final and final series, where the higher seed hosted the first and third games.
Playoff Seedings
New Zealand Breakers Perth Wildcats Gold Coast Blaze Townsville Crocodiles
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 two teams will determine order of seeding.
Under this system, Cairns did not qualify for the playoffs by equalling Townsville's win–loss record, as the latter held advantage in the tiebreaker (2-2, +51 points).
Playoff bracket
Semi-finals
Grand final
Season statistics
Statistics leaders Category Player Gamesplayed Totals Average Points per game Kevin Lisch (Perth Wildcats) 28 493 17.6 Rebounds per game Julian Khazzouh (Sydney Kings) 26 281 10.8 Assists per game Cedric Jackson (New Zealand Breakers) 27 173 6.4 Steals per game Cedric Jackson (New Zealand Breakers) 27 67 2.5 Blocks per game Julian Khazzouh (Sydney Kings) 26 54 2.1 Field goal percentage Diamon Simpson (Adelaide 36ers) 27 155-262 59.2% Three-point field goal percentage Oscar Forman (Wollongong Hawks) 28 64-125 51.2% Free throw percentage Aaron Bruce (Sydney Kings) 17 63-70 90.0% Note: regular season only
Top 10 Attendances
Attendance Round Date Home Score Away Venue 9,258 GF 24/04/2012 New Zealand Breakers 79-73 Perth Wildcats Vector Arena 9,125 GF 12/04/2012 New Zealand Breakers 104-98 Perth Wildcats Vector Arena 8,146 SF 30/03/2012 New Zealand Breakers 82-99 Townsville Crocodiles Vector Arena 7,979 17 27/01/2012 New Zealand Breakers 93-64 Sydney Kings Vector Arena 7,532 16 20/01/2012 Sydney Kings 75-76 Perth Wildcats Sydney Entertainment Centre 7,500 SF 7/04/2012 New Zealand Breakers 97-80 Townsville Crocodiles Vector Arena 7,282 25 24/03/2012 Sydney Kings 75-76 Wollongong Hawks Sydney Entertainment Centre 6,900 4 28/10/2011 New Zealand Breakers 97-80 Sydney Kings Vector Arena 6,194 14 7/01/2012 Adelaide 36ers 67-72 Cairns Taipans Adelaide Arena 6,175 7 19/11/2011 Adelaide 36ers 95-89 Melbourne Tigers Adelaide Arena
Awards
Player of the Week Round Player Team 1 Patty Mills Melbourne Tigers 2 Shawn Redhage Perth Wildcats 3 Julian Khazzouh Sydney Kings 4 Daniel Johnson Adelaide 36ers 5 Gary Wilkinson New Zealand Breakers 6 Eddie Gill Townsville Crocodiles 7 Jamar Wilson Cairns Taipans 8 Adris Deleon Gold Coast Blaze 9 Thomas Abercrombie New Zealand Breakers 10 Jamar Wilson Cairns Taipans 11 Adam Gibson Gold Coast Blaze 12 Eddie Gill Townsville Crocodiles 13 Cameron Tragardh Melbourne Tigers 14 Jerai Grant Sydney Kings 15 Jesse Wagstaff Perth Wildcats 16 Adam Gibson Gold Coast Blaze 17 Mat Campbell Wollongong Hawks 18 Cedric Jackson New Zealand Breakers 19 Oscar Forman Wollongong Hawks 20 Peter Crawford Townsville Crocodiles 21 Alex Loughton Cairns Taipans 22 Adris Deleon Gold Coast Blaze 23 Luke Schenscher Townsville Crocodiles 24 Jerai Grant Sydney Kings 25 Shawn Redhage Perth Wildcats
Player of the Month Round Player Team October Kevin Lisch Perth Wildcats November Adris Deleon Gold Coast Blaze December Cameron Tragardh Melbourne Tigers January Jesse Wagstaff Perth Wildcats February Cedric Jackson New Zealand Breakers
Coach of the Month Round Player Team October Andrej Lemanis New Zealand Breakers November Joey Wright Gold Coast Blaze December Andrej Lemanis New Zealand Breakers January Rob Beveridge Perth Wildcats February Aaron Fearne Cairns Taipans
The end-of-season awards ceremony was held in the Palladium Room at Crown Casino in Melbourne on Monday, 26 March 2012:
Season
Most Valuable Player (Andrew Gaze Trophy): Kevin Lisch, Perth Wildcats Rookie of the Year: Anatoly Bose, Sydney Kings Best Defensive Player: Damian Martin, Perth Wildcats Best Sixth Man: Jesse Wagstaff, Perth Wildcats Most Improved Player: Daniel Johnson, Adelaide 36ers Coach of the Year (Lindsay Gaze Trophy): Andrej Lemanis, New Zealand Breakers Referee of the Year: Michael Aylen All-NBL First Team: Kevin Lisch - Perth Wildcats Cedric Jackson - New Zealand Breakers Julian Khazzouh - Sydney Kings Mark Worthington - Gold Coast Blaze Thomas Abercrombie - New Zealand Breakers All-NBL Second Team: Jamar Wilson - Cairns Taipans Adam Gibson - Gold Coast Blaze Cameron Tragardh - Melbourne Tigers Gary Wilkinson - New Zealand Breakers Peter Crawford - Townsville Crocodiles All-NBL Third Team: Daniel Johnson - Adelaide 36ers Eddie Gill - Townsville Crocodiles Damian Martin - Perth Wildcats Adris Deleon - Gold Coast Blaze Jesse Wagstaff - Perth Wildcats
Finals Grand Final Series MVP (Larry Sengstock Medal): C. J. Bruton, New Zealand Breakers
References