The 2015 NBL season was the 34th season of the National Basketball League. The season draw was supposed to be released in December 2014, but the withdrawal of Otago and Waikato prompted a rethink for the 2015 competition format. In the past, each team played each other twice in a 10-team competition, meaning each franchise had nine home games. However, with two fewer teams in 2015, it was decided the new format would be played over two and half rounds to keep incomes at a similar rate for the remaining sides. Each team was scheduled to play each other twice and play three of the sides in a third game.Southland Sharks to host opening game of NZ National Basketball LeagueHome games a strong feature in draw for Jets season

The 2015 pre-season tournament was held at the Te Rauparaha Arena in Porirua on Saturday 21 March and Sunday 22 March.P-TOWN PRE-SEASON DAY ONEP-TOWN PRESEASON: DAY TWO The Wellington Saints were the only team to go undefeated over the two days, finishing with a 3–0 record. The regular season commenced on Wednesday 1 April in Invercargill with the Southland Sharks hosting the Manawatu Jets at Stadium Southland.

In the regular-season finale on Sunday 28 June, Taranaki Mountainairs import Aaron Fuller set the National Basketball League record for points scored in a game. With 54 points, Fuller broke John Whorton's record of 50 points, which was set in 2003.Taranaki Mountain Airs' import smashes NBL scoring record but still loses Despite Fuller's 54 points and 19 rebounds, the Mountainairs lost to the Super City Rangers to finish the season with a winless record (0–18). The 2015 Mountainairs side joined the 1998 Northland Suns, 2009 Mountainairs and 2010 Otago Nuggets as the only sides in NBL history to go an entire season without a win.Basketball: Nuggets closing on unwanted record

The Final Four weekend was held in Wellington for the fourth time in five years, with the semifinals on Saturday 4 July, followed by the championship game on Sunday 5 July.2015 BARTERCARD NBL SEMI-FINALS PREVIEW

Team information Team City Arena Head coach Import Import Canterbury Rams Christchurch Cowles Stadium Mark Dickel Mickell Gladness Jermaine Taylor Hawke's Bay Hawks Napier Pettigrew Green Arena Paora Winitana Zack Atkinson Suleiman Braimoh Manawatu Jets Palmerston North Arena Manawatu Darron Larsen Dion Harris Brandon Jenkins Nelson Giants Nelson Saxton Stadium Tim Fanning McKenzie Moore DeRonn Scott Southland Sharks Invercargill Stadium Southland Paul Henare Todd Blanchfield Kevin Braswell Super City Rangers Auckland Otara Recreation Centre Jeff Green Jason Cadee Tom Garlepp Taranaki Mountainairs New Plymouth TSB Stadium Daryn Shaw Aaron Fuller Chris Hagan Wellington Saints Wellington TSB Bank Arena Pero Cameron Torrey Craig Daniel Johnson

Summary

Regular season standings Team 1Southland Sharks 15 32Nelson Giants 13 53Wellington Saints 12 64Super City Rangers 11 7 5Canterbury Rams 9 96Manawatu Jets 6 127Hawke's Bay Hawks 6 128Taranaki Mountainairs 0 18

Final Four

Awards

Player of the Week Round Player Team Ref 1 Lindsay Tait Wellington Saints TAIT WINS OPENING PLAYER OF THE WEEK 2 Tai Wesley Southland Sharks Aaron Fuller Taranaki Mountainairs 3 Torrey Craig Wellington Saints 4 Suleiman Braimoh Hawke's Bay Hawks BRAIMOH IS ROUND FOUR PLAYER OF THE WEEK 5 McKenzie Moore Nelson Giants MOORE IS ROUND 5 PLAYER OF THE WEEK 6 McKenzie Moore Nelson Giants TWO IN A ROW FOR MOORE 7 Tom Garlepp Super City Rangers GARLEPP WINS PLAYER OF THE WEEK 8 Todd Blanchfield Southland Sharks SHARKS BLANCHFIELD IS PLAYER OF THE WEEK 9 Kevin Braswell Southland Sharks BRASWELL IS R9 PLAYER OF THE WEEK 10 McKenzie Moore Nelson Giants MOORE WINS THIRD PLAYER OF THE WEEK 11 Tai Wesley Southland Sharks Torrey Craig Wellington Saints 12 Luke Aston Hawke's Bay Hawks ASTON NABS WEEKLY AWARD 13 Aaron Fuller Taranaki Mountainairs FULLER GRABS LAST WEEKLY AWARD

Statistics leaders Stats as of the end of the regular season Category Player Team Stat Points per game Aaron Fuller Taranaki Mountainairs 28.4 Rebounds per game Jeremiah Trueman Manawatu Jets 12.4 Assists per game Lindsay Tait Wellington Saints 8.9 Steals per game Chris Hagan Taranaki Mountainairs 2.7 Blocks per game Mickell Gladness Canterbury Rams 2.3

Regular season Most Valuable Player: Torrey Craig (Wellington Saints) NZ Most Valuable Player: Lindsay Tait (Wellington Saints) Most Outstanding Guard: Torrey Craig (Wellington Saints) Most Outstanding NZ Guard: Lindsay Tait (Wellington Saints) Most Outstanding Forward: Tai Wesley (Southland Sharks) Most Outstanding NZ Forward/Centre: Josh Duinker (Nelson Giants) Scoring Champion: Aaron Fuller (Taranaki Mountainairs) Rebounding Champion: Jeremiah Trueman (Manawatu Jets) Assist Champion: Lindsay Tait (Wellington Saints) Rookie of the Year: Josh Duinker (Nelson Giants) Coach of the Year: Paul Henare (Southland Sharks) All-Star Five: G: McKenzie Moore (Nelson Giants) G: Torrey Craig (Wellington Saints) F: Todd Blanchfield (Southland Sharks) F: Tai Wesley (Southland Sharks) C: Aaron Fuller (Taranaki Mountainairs)

Final Four Finals MVP: Tai Wesley (Southland Sharks)Southland Sharks players keen to return to defend National Basketball League title

References

External links 2015 League Handbook The Year Of #ClassicNBL Season preview