Melbourne import Josh Boone out of NBL Blitz with injury
Melbourne United's Josh Boone.
Photo: AAPMelbourne United centre Josh Boone is out of the NBL Blitz and could miss the team’s two NBA preseason games after straining his hamstring.
Melbourne coach Dean Vickerman said Boone has a grade two hamstring strain but was responding well to treatment with the team still confident he can play a role for the side in games against the Philadelphia 76ers in Philadelphia on AFL grand final morning and then against Toronto Raptors in Toronto on October 6.
Last year Melbourne United lost Goulding to an appendicitis just before leaving for their NBA preseason game against the Oklahoma City Thunder but they still managed to push the eventual NBA playoff team to the final play before losing.
“It will put Josh out of the blitz and we will keep making our assessments as the days go on but the intent is to give him some minutes in the United States,” Vickerman said.
“It’s his first muscle injury like that so in that regard it should respond quickly to the treatment.”
Boone’s injury is frustrating for Melbourne who have only just had their full side hit the court after having Chris Goulding and Mitch McCarron on Australian duty this past week and having imports DJ Kennedy and Casper Ware arrive the week before that.
But Vickerman looks forward to seeing the majority of his side on court at the Blitz with their NBL campaign not starting until October 12 when they take on Illawarra Hawks in Wollongong.
Melbourne won’t be the only side missing a big man with Perth centre Angus Brandt (ankle) and Brisbane centre Matt Hodgson (calf) both going down injured in the Boomers 94-41 thrashing of Kazakhstan in Bendigo on Monday night.
The two players are still receiving treatment but are not likely to be risked by their teams in the Blitz which sees each NBL side play one game each day starting at Bendigo Stadium on Thursday then at the Minerdome in Ballarat on Saturday and Sunday.
“We can experiment a little bit with Boone out in how we cover that centre position,” Vickerman said.
“We played a group today which had Dave Barlow at the five-spot [centre] and we have guys like Mitch McCarron and DJ playing together for the first time and looking at how they can play together in some spots.”
Vickerman is still considering rotating his players and his starters more this season but won’t go completely into that plan until later on as he wants his side to first battle it out for roles in the side.
The NBL also announced on Tuesday it would be live streaming every game from the NBL Blitz around the world from the league’s Twitter feed.
All games will be able to be viewed whether someone is logged into Twitter or just looking at the league’s @NBL Twitter page where a schedule of games is also available.
The NBA v NBL preseason games will be live on ESPN and NBA League Pass.