AROUND THE TRAPS is a new segment at A Stern Warning, rounding up interesting Australian basketball news of the moment, predominately NBL. "Around the traps" is a uniquely Aussie phrase, with a double entendre that fits basketball.

• Seamus McPeake reportedly decided that Ayinde Ubaka's time with the Melbourne Tigers was over after the Tigers lost to the Gold Coast Blaze (recap). Ubaka spoke on SEN Radio about what unfolded (listen here). Tigers fan Tim Grimes wrote a frank, open letter to McPeake on where he sees the Tigers organisation heading (read here). 
• Sydney Kings rookie Anatoly Bose has one of the most international, interesting backgrounds in Australian basketball (read here).
• Patty Mills: future Olympics medal winner. “In the US, the question that starts off the conversation is, ‘I didn’t know there were black people in Australia,’” he says. “If I wasn’t there, they wouldn’t know about Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders. I love having the opportunity to express my culture, because there’s no one in basketball who can do that but me. Every time I step on court, I represent the indigenous people.” (read here)
• Cam Tragardh: man with the tattoos. "In Cam Tragardh's case, looks are deceiving. Take that massive, demonic-looking tattoo sprawled across his right shoulder. Combined with his slightly ruffled semi-mullet hairdo, Tragardh seems like he'd be more at home in black singlet and jeans, tinkering with a motorbike in his garage." (read here)
• The Wollongong Hawks are in trouble. ''We're really struggling to put four quarters together and our lack of focus is hurting us,'' the 2010 NBL coach of the year, Gordie McLeod said. ''We're getting out-worked on the boards and turning the ball over when we're under pressure. So ball control is definitely an issue. You have to give opposition credit for the disruption they cause and the way they are scouting us, but a lot of it is our decision-making and our execution under pressure. We're too sloppy with the ball.
  ''In the end it's hard enough for us to score without giving teams five to seven extra possessions. So that's hurting us dearly and the only way we can turn that around is to work hard at practice and give some teams a bit of their own medicine.'' (read here)
• The Hawks are re-writing history with their home losing streak. ‘‘From my point of view, I’ve been around long enough to know that it’s not about those kinds of stats and stuff, it’s more about making sure the group is functioning the way we’re meant to,’’ Mat Campbell said.
  ‘‘At the moment we’re just not right there and we’ve been working our tails off for a month to try to rectify it and hopefully our performance on Friday showed signs that we’re starting to fix it.’’ (read here)
• One of the richest young women in Australia is a former flame of ex-NBL player, Damien Ryan (read here).
• CJ Bruton is still the New Zealand Breakers' X-factor (read here).
• Boti Nagy is not happy with the way the Adelaide 36ers are heading, or being coached (read here).
• Former Sydney King, Ben Knight's inclusion on the Maccabi NSW team is pushing the regulations on non-Jewish players (read here).
• Can the Sydney Kings walk that fine line needed to make an NBL Finals berth, with Aaron Bruce out for the season? (read here). Can the Perth Wildcats stop Julian Khazzouh this Friday? (read here)
• Whilst former Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson hated the AFL highlights he forced on the team, he loved Luc Longley during his NBA career. Jackson presented Longley with a G'Day USA Award in Los Angeles this past weekend. (read here)

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