Talking Hoops Recap

Talking Hoops Recap 23 Jan 07

Hosted by Paul Bell and Brett Maher

Spoke about Erin Phillips's injury, said it's a nasty injury will probably be out 6-12 months and will be sorely missed by the Lightning and will shatter her aspirations of going back to the WNBA next season, but said since she is young she will hopefully get back and playing aswell as ever.

Maher and Bell spoke about the 36ers v Kings game. Said the kings are a very good team with preparation, the king had a week, and the 36ers only had 1 day after losing to New Zealand which left the players feeling dejected and then they had to get themselves up for Sydney which they obviously didn't do, said the kings started very well and shot very well and the 36ers were at the other end of the spectrum and couldn't buy a basket. They said mathematically the 36ers are still a chance to make the play offs, said none of the guys are happy with the loss, said if you lose by 2 or 40 it doesn't matter and they have to rebound and get up for the Bullets game this week, said Copeland is playing his 500th and Cooper his 200th said Copelands family has been flone in and he may be receiving a television. Said hopefully they can pick up for that and given there situation they have to be up for it. Bell said they have beaten teams above them so there is no reason they cant beat the Bullets and said on there nigjht they are as good as anyone it's the matter of doing it on a consistant basis.

Said Farley is out for a couple of weeks, said hopefully not for the rest of the season and hopefully they can get some wins and make the playoffs and get him back for them, Maher said he hurt his ankle against cairns, he can run in straight lines but hurts when changing directions. Said a lot of pressure on the young guys such as Ng and Sutton which will be good for developing there games.

They spoke about Hemmerling speaking to the team, Maher said Hemmerling has been very good since coming in and inheriting the team having no impact into how the team was selected, he spoke to the team and said he believed in them and they can make the top 8 and instilled his confidence in them. Hemmerling told the players the things they can look forward to, looking to do some things with the stadium and has big plans in putting a better team together for next season, and for the fans they are looking at having more face to face with the fans, getting back into the schools and different groups being able to do things with the players, which has been sorely missed in the last 10 years. Maher said he thinks he has some good plans in place for the future and something to look forward to for the players who stay. He said it was good as at this stage in the season players who are coming out of contract find it hard not to think if they are going to get picked up next year, etc. he said he thinks all players should put that at the back and if your playing well you will get picked up buy what ever team you want and if your not playing well you will only be able to play for a team that is willing to take you.

Dana called in: Asked Maher about his contract and said she is a die hard fan and doesn't want to contemplate Maher not playing for the 36ers. Maher said it got blown up out of proportion, said at this stage of the year agents are contacted by clubs to see who is available, and many clubs have thought Maher was un touchable, but they have started negotiations with the 36ers and Maher said its going well and that it is his number 1 priority to play with the 36ers. Bell said its going Smoothly. Dana said Maher is the 36ers, and it would be like Gaze leaving the Tigers and she couldn't imagine him leaving the 36ers, and mentioned Mark Davis played with the 36ers until the end and she trusts that Hemmerling, etc will do the best they can to sign him, and Maher said they have spoken to him and defiantly want to keep him. Bell said she is right Maher being mr Adelaide, etc. but Maher has a financial obligation to himself to look at all the options. She asked how Willie was, Maher said he got some results back and went for a light run today and didn't pull up well, is fine in straight line runnings but anythingelse he has pain shoot up his legs, and they said with the way Willie plays he uses his ankles a lot, Maher said Farley probably will be put on injury waivers. Dana spoke of the Farley speculation, if he cant play again and they don't make the play offs and asked if the club will give the fans a opportunity to thank him, Maher said defiantly as they have many functions after the season but would be difficult at games as he didn't think a decision would have been made by the last game. She spoke of the channel 7 report, and Maher said no decision has been made as yet, Maher said since he has been such a attribute to Basketball in SA the fans should be given the opportunity to thank him. Dana said he has been off this season but there have been many good times aswell and you cant just write those things off. Maher said he has been one of the great players, mentioning the 2002 title and him providing many highlights and is one of the real characters on the team, and you need characters to provide entertainment. And you need guys like him who fire up the crowd. Bell said they need Maher to do it, Maher said if he starts doing it now people will think he is a real tool as he hasn't done it his whole career.

Bell and Maher said that everything is going well with Mahers negotiations and they hope to have a out come in the coming weeks.

Bell and Maher mentioned his website at www.d-rych.com where you can see photos and video highlights and contact Dusty.

Dusty Rychart Interview: Said the Bullets have the Dragons tomorrow night then go to Adelaide on Saturday and hope they have 2 wins. Said Dustys dad is coming to Adelaide to watch him play and staying for the rest of the season. Dusty said they have 12 wins straight hopefully 14 vs Adelaide and hope to break the NBL record and they are all playing off each other and different guys leading the scoring each game. They spoke of the different style, Dusy said it was Joeys biggest issue with Dusty to start with as he said he had 'Adelaide'Defense, and its very different having a full court press with the bench guys pressing a lot more and then scoring off that, said they are playing small ball with Bradtke hurt which helps as bigger guys cant guard him and Mackinnon so they are running the floor well. Said Bradtke hurt his calf pre game in West Sydney. Said he gets 25 mins agame and all he wants to do is rebound and win. They said the 2nd unit give them a good spark as guys like Gibson run around like mad men, Dusty said it gives you confidence having that depth as one of the 2nd unit will come on and play well and keep it going. Maher asked about the changes in Sams game from last season, he said last season everyone let him have the outside shot as he couldn't make it but now he is playing more confident and he is making them, and Joey is getting him to be more confident and vocal. Dusty said he has seen some stuff from Sam he hasn't season before, hasn't seen a more athletic guy and can do some amazing things when he wants to, said he got a goose egg when his agent came along, joked to Brett not to let his agent (Bell) come to any games.

Bell and Maher spoke about Dusty and Brisbane, said he is really enjoying it winning a lot, they get along as a group and that he doesn't have to put up huge numbers each game for them to win, and he is always going to provide them with his fantastic rebounding, said any of about 7 guys can go for 20 points on any given night and they are all going consistently at around 13 agame and its impossible to shut down 7 guys. Said they have done some extra training defensively for the Bullets and are working on there physicality and upping there intensity to match it with the top teams. Said they tried against Sydney and got 3 times the fouls of the kings, who didn't get a foul for a quarter and a half which you would think one of them would have fouled in that time.

Dirk called in and asked wheter Willie will be back for next season and what type of player to replace him. Maher said Nash is the only one with a contract and he would work to get the core 5 or 6 players inplace, including 2 imports and 3 or 4 main Aussies and fill in the rest of the team with fringe and development players. Isnt sure wether Willie is apart of it but that probably wont be decided until next year.

Read out round 18 resluts, see nbl.com.au

They spoke about Brisbane having a unbelievable amount of lay ups scored in Brisbane v Wollongong, said it was 24 to 12 which is a lot of extra points.

Chris Anstey Interview: Said he had a few injury problems early came in under done which was frustrating, and he is injury free now and is practicing more and is playing better as a result. Asked about the Tigers draw, said they have a massive week this week go to Townsville tomorrow then play Sydney, Singapore and Perth all within a week and said this week will make and break there season, and he doesn't see Perth losing many more. Said the split is even and who ever wins will have like a 2 game advantage. Maher asked him if he is going to Europe this year, he said not this year, due to his niggling injuries he wants to give his body a break this off season to get ready for the next NBL season, and after that he doesn't know. Asked about Tucker, said he is ok and practiced today and did well, said with Stiff and Greer out already to lose Tucker would be devastating but they are 99% sure he will be ok. Asked about Stiffs injury said there isn't much you can do other than let nature take its course. Said it was nice to beat the Dragons, said its great for the fans to have the rivalry. Asked about Australian team commitments, he said he hasn't spoken to Goorjian, he wants to be available for the Olympics but doesn't know how he would go getting through some of Goorjians camps and other duties.

Maher and Bell spoke about Anstey, said he is a good personality and speaks his mind.

Maher and Bell did there tips: Hawks v Kings, tipped the Kings, Breakers v Slingers, tipped the Breakers in a tough game, Bullets v Dragons, tipped Bullets, Kings v Razors tipped the Kings, Perth v Hawks, tipped Perth, Crocs v Tigers, tipped the Crocs, 36ers v Bullets, Bell said head with Bullets heart with 36ers, Hawks v Breakers, tipped Hawks, Cairns v Crocs tipped Cairns, Perth v Dragons, tipped Perth, Kings v Tigers, tipped the kings due to the Tigers having so many games.

Brendan Joyce Interview: Asked what happened in Wollongong, Joyce said he couldn't make comment to the media at the time, but it was disappointing to end 12 years at the club like that, and he said there was some sort of agenda up there. Joyce said he is excited to set up the new team, he said when he first went to Wollongogn they had half the cap so he decided to play a young Saville and Campbell and made the play offs in his 3rd year when Savill and Campbell were 21, and then they had a decade of seucces with top fours, 2 grand finals and a championship he said it was disgraceful how he was treated but these things prepare you for new challenges he said he has high expectations wants a top 4 team, said South port is the best facility having everything there which will help develop players and its exciting as it's a new lease on life for him. He said he got along with Claxton well and said he holds him in high regard and he had him as a assistant coach and said there is mutual respect and he couldn't ask to work with a better person than Claxton and he said a couple of others have great integrity and they have a good culture up there. Asked about the vibe, he said he will be going up there this weekend, and they have started a relationship with a marketing group who see very professional and assisting with the structure of marketing and sales and its all happening and they are looking for suggestions of a name and it's a lot more stable environment in the Gold Coast now, people are going there and staying there now. Said they will have to start to look at who they can recruit to the team soon, wants a balance, a couple of guys under 21 and a couple of guys with experience and the rest imbetweeen and its exciting to put it together and hoped to get a good assistant coach to assist with development and game nights. Joyce said they have a big area on the coast and they will be looking to get involved in various associations having practice sessions around at different places, and basketball is still popular in the area, said it's a stable population there with a lot of people retiring or running businesses there. Asked if there was much talk about the Rollers, he said they had a number of owners and the thing is stability he said Owen Thompson one of there major owners who are in this for the long term and Claxton has worked his but off for this for a long time and he feels privileged to coach this team. Said they have to build a culture that will be respected and the life style will be attractive to some of them players. Said the challenge is putting together a balanced team he thinks the location is a advantage and the players know him as a coach and good at developing. Asked about his boomers role and there schedule, he said there will be a tour of china where they may take a younger team, and said its tough being away from family and its good for him as 2 of the camps look like being on the Gold Coast.

Said it will be interesting to see what they come up with in the Gold Coast but will be a good place to play.

Chris Lucas Interview: Asked about Erin Phillips said who had surgery last night, he dropped in and saw her, he said it all looked pretty good, and she will be re habbing in SA, he said it's a 9 to 12 month injury, knowing her she will do it in 6months but she needs to take her time and will bounce back better than ever. Said he spoke to vince who was keen to do it straight away and he wanted a core group of players so they did it all at once. Asked about the AIS game, he said he wasn't happy at half time as some players didn't have the right approach and he had to over play some of the players, he said the most important thing was they won, said the AIS have performed well against the top 3 teams, asked about AIS hot talents from SA, he mentioned Cayla Francis, Emma Langford and Mia Newley who is Brads sister. Asked about the Canberra game, he said the score doesn't refelect how they played, he said they had a game plan which they followed pretty well until half way and then they lost Erin Phillips and had to change things up, and said it was disappointing to lose the game and Erin, he said everybody has to step up, said the team was very quiet and disappointed to lose Erin, who has been averaging 17 points and 34 minutes a game so they need to spread the load across the team, and they wont be giving up. Said they have shut down negotiations for now until after the play offs are finished.

Bell and Maher spoke about the Lightning, said a lot of teams cut off negotiations leading upto the play offs and they have 5 people already signed which also helps.

They encouraged everyone to support the 36ers against Brisbane!!

Another Great show look forward to next week!!

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