ADELAIDE THUNDER

Wins - 0
Losses – 18
Standing – 7^th
2016 result – N/A

THE GOOD

Returning to the league and getting back on court was a success in itself for the Adelaide Thunder, regardless of where their win/loss record finished. They came close to defeating Red Dust in Round 2 and were led by Adam Roocke while Beau Buckley (9.5 points, 6.3 rebounds) scored double-figures in nine games and shot a team-high 42% from the field. Jay Dohnt paced them with 3.4 assists to combine with 4.6 points while Will Crooks and Phil Stephens showed they can be quality performers in years to come for the Thunder.

THE BAD

Unfortunately, Adelaide could not garner a victory in 2017 with an average losing margin of 40.4 points which included three losses in a row to Sydney Metro and Kilsyth over Rounds 3-4 of 70 points, 74 and 59. Offensively, they just could not match it with the rest of the competition as even when they held the Heelers to an average of 50 points in Round 2, they still fell by 18 and eight points respectively.

STANDOUT PERFORMER

Leading them in almost every contest, Roocke was the Thunder’s most effective player after starting the season with a 23-point performance that he backed up with a double-double the following day. Tallying five double-doubles for the season, Roocke averaged 12.7 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists while also knocking down 15 three-pointers to place him fourth in the competition.

Next Year

With some offensive firepower to help out Roocke and Buckley, the Thunder could do some damage next season although finals does still seem to be a long way off. Defensively, their squad will be better for the run in 2017 but need someone to step up to contain the superstars of the competition such as Shaun Norris or Tristan Knowles if they are to improve their record next year.