Brett Maher - Retain
Brad Davidson - Retain
Julius Hodge - 50/50
Adam Ballinger - Retain
David Cooper - Retain
Axel Dench - Cut
Lanard Copeland - Cut
Darren Ng - Retain
Matt Sutton - Cut
Jordan Dodman - CUT CUT CUT. Ill go without dinner every wednesday to make this happen if i must.
Erick Burdon - Keep on dev.
Neil Mottram - Cut.

Coach - Cut
1st Ass. - CUT
2nd Ass. - NFI

Operations Manager - CUT!

There is only one change that will make any difference. Look at this season to last season. We had basically THE recruiting class in the country, and look at us.

Brett Maher - Retain but play as 6th man/back up, getting to injury prone.

Brad Davidson - Retain

Julius Hodge - Retain can realy see him becoming a dave thomas sorta player, just work on that jump shot.

Adam Ballinger - Retain and naturalise

David Cooper - Retain

Axel Dench - Cut

Lanard Copeland - Retiring

Darren Ng - Retain

Matt Sutton - cut/development - needs to work on more consistent shot.

Jordan Dodman - cut/development - has been there for a while and realy just needs those chances like tonight to prove hmself but i dont think he did that tonight.

Erick Burdon - Keep on dev.

Neil Mottram - Retain

Coach - as much as i am a fan i think his time has come and need some new ideas - cut.

Swap Dench for Schenscher
Swap Sutton for an import Combo Guard, Kavossy/Cortez/Draper maybe (assuming Balls is an Aussie)
Swap Copes for an Aussie SF with a low points rating, possibly Weigh, Tovey or Boodnikoff(not sure what Boody's current contract is like)
Swap Smyth for Stacker
Swap Breheny for Ninnis.

...that leaves us with:

C- Schenscher/Cooper/Dodman
PF- Ballinger/Mottram
SF- Hodge/Aussie SF
SG- Maher/Ng/Burdon
PG-Import PG/Davidson

Coach- Stacker
Asst- Ninnis

not a bad team if you ask me and shouldnt be TOO hard to get done as long as we can keep our current guys.
May need to swap Mottram for a younger big man if points is an issue, or maybe go for a first year import rather than someone already in the league.

I thought that once you were a contracted and paid player in the main 10 rotation, the player is unable to be put back into a development spot???


If this is the case, see ya Sutts! If we are serious about winning next year, there are simply not contract paying spots for passengers like him and Dench.

Keep Burdon and Dodman in development spots in the 12.

Retain:
Davo
Maher
Hodge
Ballinger
Cooper
Ng


Cut or Retiring
Sutton
Copeland
Dench

Not Decided
Mottram

Get after some top young Australian talent - Tovey, Weigh etc.

AARGH SCREW YOU PHIL VOLDEMORT U SENSETIVE A$$HOLE NOW I GOTTA WRITE THAT AGAIN!

ok...
Swap Dench for Schenscher

Copeland for an Aussie SF with a low points rating, Weigh, Tovey or Boodnikoff maybe.

Sutton for an import combo-guard, maybe Kavossy, Cortez, Draper or a first year import with a lower points rating.

Keep Dodman and Burdon as DP's unless there are some better yound locals out there, havent been following the local ball.

Swap Voldemort and Breheny for Stacker and Ninnis.

That should leave us with:

C- Schenscher/Cooper/Dodman
PF- Ballinger/Mottram
SF- Hodge/Aussie SF
SG- Maher/Ng/Burdon
PG- Import CG/Davidson

Coach- Stacker
Asst- Ninnis

Not a bad team if you ask me. and it shouldnt be TOO hard to get done as long as we can keep Hodge, Ng, Balls etc. We may also need to swap Motts for a younger big man if the points system is a problem.

Isaac if Voldemort asks you to block the words 'Stacker' and 'Ninnis' just ignore him.

Doubt that the team you mentioned Xztatik would be able to fit under points cap, but would never the less be a great team.

Franklin
Holmes
Tovey/Weigh

are 3 players we should look at especially for next season

Any idea if Maher is going to play next season? Heard rumours this may be his last?

You should all consider the possibility that the players you wish to retain might not wish to stay.

How bout Braithwaite as one of the DP players. Quality scorer, can shoot from the outside and drive to the hole, good defender, big enuf to be a guard in the league.

Maher has 1 more year on his contract but said on a news service he would consider his options at the end of the season, a lot depends on how his body is holding up i guess. No doubt if it wasnt for injuries he could keep playing till he was Cope's age.

Just on Holmes, i didnt include him on my team because of the points cap, but really with the situation he's got at the Dragons would he want to leave, im pretty sure he's leading the team in minutes and a lot of the offense goes through him.
Plus if it comes down to a decision between Holmes, Schenscher and a Second import, Holmes would be the one left out of my team, especially if we retain Balls and Jules.

Brett Maher - Retain
Brad Davidson - Retain
Julius Hodge - Retain
Adam Ballinger - Retain
David Cooper - Retain
Axel Dench - Cut and try get a Ian Crosswhite
Lanard Copeland - Cut and try get Tovey
Darren Ng - Retain
Matt Sutton - cut and get Franklin
Jordan Dodman - cut
Erick Burdon - Cut
Neil Mottram - cut and get Homles

As Holmes and Mottram are best mates its unlikely that cutting Mottram would be the best way to entice Holmes.
Also from all reports Jacob really likes his day job working with Cowan so as much as I would love to see him back here, I think its highly unlikely.

get rid of cooper and we'll be cruisin

CUT sutton. PLEASE!!!

Brett Maher - Retain (move to bench)
Brad Davidson - Retain
Julius Hodge - Cut (Get Josh Pace)
Adam Ballinger - Retain
David Cooper - Cut (Get Holmes)
Axel Dench - Cut Entice Sam Harris to Leave College
Lanard Copeland - Retire (Get Tovey)
Darren Ng - Cut Contact Radcliffe (AIS)
Matt Sutton - cut (Get Gibson)
Jordan Dodman - Gone to Townville (Rumor)
Erick Burdon - Retain
Neil Mottram - Retain

My Team
Davidson/Gibson/Zorich
Pace/Maher/Burdon
Holmes/Tovey
Ballinger/Radcliffe
Harris/Mottram

With the likely scenario that a new coach will be in charge next season, will Brett stay around just for one season? Will Ballinger want to stay around if the coach is a more defensive and less offensive orientated coach?

CUT - Sutton

KEEP - Balls and Hodge.


Do that im happy.

Kobe4MVP, I know you were one of the few supporters odf Chappell when he was here, now after seeing Hodge play do you agree that it was a good move to cut him?

Brett Maher - Retain and shift to 6th man
Brad Davidson - Retain
Julius Hodge - Retain
Adam Ballinger - Retain
David Cooper - 50/50 Might find someone better
Axel Dench - Cut definitely
Lanard Copeland - Retiring
Darren Ng - Retain
Matt Sutton - Cut
Jordan Dodman - Retain
Erick Burdon - Keep on dev.
Neil Mottram - Retain

Coach - Cut
1st Ass. - CUT
2nd Ass. - Cut!

Operations Manager - CUT!

Id say a team like this id be happy assuming Ballinger resigns

Import C/Motts/young aussie.
Ballinger/Cooper
Holmes/Tovey/Ng
Hodge/Maher/Burdon
Import PG/Davo/Zorich

Dont think theres room for Sutts or Dodman. If Balls naturalises later id go for Gibson. Id welcome Oscar back anytime. Isaac is Oscar pretty content in NZ? If offered a decent contract would he return?

He is signed for another two years and is happy there.

Cut Dodman,Sutton, Burdon, Mottram, Dench. Copeland retiring, retain the rest.

Cut coach and breheny, ninnis as head coach. Is Kinsman available or Lucas?

The Champ33,
So your saying get a new coaching staff - but bascally keeping the same team that was pumped by 50 last night?

How can you expect that group to be a serious finals contender?

AK47 i think youve got 3 imports in that team, 4 if u count Balls, and Ng is 189cm tall so i'd reconsider putting him at SF. Switch Mottram and Coops too.

Thinking worst case scenario here for a bit:

Mal opens discussions with possible replacement coaching panel. The current staff walk.

Maher retires to an off-court role as he won't undertake a season under a more rigorous regime.

Ballinger doesn't like the look of where things are going and disappears interstate in a bidding war (before scorching Adelaide in his first game as a naturalised Aussie in early 2008/9).

Ng retires to finish med.

Hodge wants to consider his options and return to summer league. After failing to impress NBA selectors, he comes back to Adelaide.

Copes and Mottram retire (the constant injury niggles for Mottram becoming too much, as he can't handle more than 15 minutes court time).

Having to fill too many replacement spots, any players remaining in Adelaide become automatic selections for the team (read: Dench).

Having no contracted Aussie SG/SF/PFs, imports are needed to fill those roles. In the interim, Dench is pencilled in to start.

Davidson / Burdon / Sutton
Import SG / ??
Hodge / ??
Dench / ?? / ??
Cooper / ??

With no real negotiating power, the Sixers are only able to fill the remaining spots with raw Slingers-esque Aussies leaving the Sixers with at best a bottom two roster and a three to four year rebuilding program. We will all look back with longing towards this current roster as being our last great hope of making the finals.

Sorry, but when your team gets pummelled by 48 and gives up 155 points in regulation, I think I deserve a moment here to be a little pessimistic.

The team is actually a good team, but Philbert just hasn't extracted the best from it. It appears as though he overplays his favourites and underplays those who he doesn't respect. As a consequence, a lot of guys have lost confindence in themselves and play in fear. Fear that if they make a mistake, they get dragged. DRIVE OUT FEAR !
Maher: Has been overplayed and gets injured.
Sutton: Gets low time and poor quality at that - it looks like he has lost all confidence in himself.
Ng: Most improved, but needs to increase his 3pt % - only 32% at the moment (team = 36%)
Coops & Motts: Just when they get a run on, they head to the bench for a rest. You can't drag a guy for a foul when the umpires target them for fouls...
"Harley": Gets overplayed - suprise, suprise has injury problems - like Brett, play Brad strategically - not keep him on for as long as you can.
Copes: Is either hot or cold, more cold than hot these days - it's his last season so don't be too hard.
JD: PLAY HIM MORE. How can you develop a player when he is sitting on the bench? Unfortuntely, sounds like he'll be a croc next season and probably average 15 ppg.
Axe: Probably the biggest disappointment of the season. Plays like a tiger on the away games, like a pussycat at the dome - Once again, when he is on, you can see when he makes an error, he is just waiting for Philbert to drag him and so he looses confidence in himself. Who do you blame? The coach for not showing leadership.
Axe is the only 36er encouraging others "GO BLUE"
Burd-man: How can you develop a player in the last 89 seconds of a game???
Julius: Has been good so far, but don't turn into a ball hog
Balls: V. good, but you can tell Philbert is relying on him too much.

Overall? The current roster is pretty good, unfortunately they are not showing all their potential because it seems they are in an environment where FEAR rules and as a consequence are frightened to take risks and develop.
It doesn't matter how good the team is at the start of the season, just at the end. Is the current team better than the team in Game 1?

I think Dodman just needs more regular opportunities to adjust to the level, settle his nerves and gain confidence.

Last year, Sutton was getting good chances. And this year, Burdon's been getting a few (though Sutton is losing his and the confidence is going too it seems).

I agree that the roster is pretty decent besides a lack of back-up SF, though that is less of an issue when Hodge is able to play 35-40 MPG. Injuries are really hurting them now unfortunately.

Retain - Ballinger, Davidson, Hodge, Cooper, Ng, Mottram and Sutton.

Retire - Maher (sorry but Brett is to injury prone now) and Copeland.

Cut - Dench (to make room for a starting centre) and Dudman (please cut Dudman).

Developement players - Burdon and Gerlach.

Add - Starting centre (Schenscher would be handy), Starting small forward/shooting gaurd, back up small forward and a tall developement player with some skills (P.Hoban maybe).

I agree the team is OK but thats where it stops! IMO its never going to challenge for a title and has too many players playing starter minutes who would be bench players at another team

Brett Maher - Awesome - but cant play 35+ mins a gfame anymore - BENCH

Brad Davidson - V Good - Starting PG

Julius Hodge - Will do for now but is far from a top echelon import in the leage - Starting SF

Adam Ballinger - Awesome - Starting PF

David Cooper - great attitude, great guy but not really that good - Bench or cut

Axel Dench - Unfortunately not up to it anymore - CUT

Lanard Copeland - Retiring

Darren Ng - great in spurts but too many deficiencies in his game - not tough enough - Bench

Matt Sutton - Has not made the next step - Cut

Jordan Dodman - hasnt had a chance - Bench/Cut

Erick Burdon - as above - Bench/cut

Neil Mottram - just not up to staerting role - BENCH

IMO the team has 3 starting calibre players and Brett - and then a heap of guys who are bench quality. The team needs to heavily recruit again in the off season and pick up at least 2 more starters to make a meaningful assault next season.
Failing that - take the decision to throw some talented kids in next year and develop them with a view to semi finals in 2009/2010

Would Holmes and Newley do as your other two starters?

Absolutely Rarney - that is the sort of callibre player we need in the starting 5 rather than Ng and Coops - who, try as they might just cannot justify more than backup minutes

Jesus.. are you and eagle?

Jesus... are you *an* eagle?

Peter Hoban for development spot. Trains against NBL bigs in Oakley, Rees and Pero previously. Getting bigger and stronger each year. I hope Ninnis pushes him for a gig if he keeps improving... I think he would be shining if he had the three or so years that Dodman has had...

New coach might change it for those lacking confidence, and bring them back from the brink...

I totally supports Statman's views .

However I am concerned that Ballinger may not decide to stay in Adelaide which means the 36rs may have 2 starting players !

Who is going to do the recruitment and when do they start ?

Retain Sutton!
3/6 field goals last match!!! Hes improving!
And his defence and pressure cannot be faulted!

please people realise that cam tovey stinks!he has average game at most, there is a reason he is a tenth man. he looks like he should be in harris scarfe catalogues not on a basketball court.

cut sutton, refer to tovey reference above. If we are unable to keep ballinger or hodge, get an original import, no more recycled ones please. we all know how well chappell went right?