gorjan is the best coach in NBL.... it cant even be a debate anymore...

Yeah, it can be. He's the most successful, but he's not the best. He overspends on players, and coaches an ugly form of the game, driving away fans, and .. killing what, about 4 teams he's coached so far (eastside, SE melb, titans, kings) ?
He's also constantly shown up at the international level.
but, yeah, other than that ...

Of the five GF games that was the best IMO.

South's import duo dominated - Darden's 3rd quarter was unbelievable and Donta won the finals MVP.

What did people think of the near-full-court shot by Kendall on the 3qtr time buzzer?
He got the shot off AFTER the clock reached zero, but BEFORE the siren went off. The basket counted so obviously the refs were going by the buzzer. Pretty pathetic from whoever's responsible for that. To not have the clock aligned with the buzzer is just amateurish. Lucky the contest was over.

Overall a good game with a good result.

Melvin, Australia is constantly shown up at international level. Goorgian isn´t the problem.....

and a big thank you to ACT TAB for offering the Goons at $8.00 early on in the season.

Melvin- he's just a good guy who actually want his players to get "paid" because they deserve the reward. You look at the number of great players that's came out under his system you have: Newley, Barlow, Smith, Wortho etc. He's in my mind the best coach in Australian basketball history. He didn't just "sign" good players but he developed them; not disrespecting Barlow, but how much you think he's improved since coming to the Tigers?

Coach Goorijan shows this country what happens when a team plays a little bit of D...Other team starts to FUMBLE. With better defense in the NBA you rarely see teams lose their ball consecutively on offense when defense adjusts to a full court pressure.

Internationally, you don't want nobody else to get the job other than this guy. He's one of those coaches USA actually pays some attention to (not disrespecting other coaches).

Lastly, he actually like coaching here, he could've gone coach at Europe and earn truck loads before 08-09 season but chose to stay. Enough said, let's just give this guy more respect than that.

To all those mupppets.......

This is why i said at start of season

All-Melbourne Final

All Dragon Victory

I knew the Dragons would win due to Goorjan. There is just something about him which gave the edge and victory.

Oldschool is officially my hero. Hail the new king of the Hoops SA board...

good win to the Dragons, stoked the Tigers didn't win another championship. Gorj is a top rate Coach end of story, he's killed NZ's buzz enough times lol.

I think that's the third time that Goorjian has coached to a championship in his first season with a club?

Clearly the top coach in the league, whether you think he drives clubs into financial ruin (I don't) or coaches an ugly style of game (not a fan of the 85-75 grinds when it comes to the finals) - he got the absolute best out of guys like Carter, Herbert, Vukona and Darden.

LA Boy,what has Goorjian done to develop Newleys game?

i watched the game with a few others and we were all amazed at the ridiculous way the post game was handled, everyone short of the tigers secretary was given a trophy.

Kharma has a great way of getting back doesn't it.

In a 5 game final series , with games played a few days apart - Brian Goorjian prepared his players accordingly. The Dragons comfortably won 3 games at home, and didn't even get close at 2 away games.

I don't believe Goorjian is a great coach. What he is is a good strategist with a particular recipe for winning finals games.
He plays one import for the first part of the season, gets rid of him on some pretext before the required time to bring in another import, and then brings in a ring-in or in two.

Yes, not a great coach, but with a proven recipe for success. One team for the beginning, one team for the end.

Gorj is a complete wanker, and cheat. The guys teams are NEVER under the salary cap...how does that make him the best. Clearly if Any other team was willing to bankrupt themselves to win a championship they would.
He has shown on the world level he cant hack it, bringing in the wrong players simply because they spend time with him behind the school lockers. With our Olympic team last year we should NOT have had the absolute disgrace that the fool put us through.

What?
There was a GF game on last night?
Meh...

Since when is the coach responsible for breaching the salary cap?

The buck stops with the owner.

Goorjian is the best coach in Australia. His record speaks for itself.

And to blame the Kings demise on Goorjian over-spending on players is just plain stupid. It would not have mattered if he spent $1 on salaries at Sydney. The club and its operations were being bank rolled by a fraudulent business.

I remember playing against Carter a few years ago when he was playing ABA for Mildura. I could not believe that he was NBL material. But with Goorjian as his coach he has evolved into a solid player on a Championship team. Amazing.

raytri - the 36ers have changed imports in the last two years too. Why would you persist with an import who's not the right fit or not performing? The guy is employed to win championships and he's doing it.

Skud - the Olympic campaign wasn't a 'disgrace'. And he picks certain players because they know his system. Say you coached a run and gun style, would you really pick players that didn't fit that?

Loads of teams overspend the cap - probably every championship team in recent memory.

Isaac, the 36ers do not make a habit of changing imports as a matter of course. Chappell was axed very very late in the season due to injury, probably too late. This year was a fiasco with imports, Tyndale a bad choice in the first place and Hodge out of pique.
Goorjian does it is every finals.

Raytri, neither does Goorjian. Like any coach with the choice, he will swap out an injured or underperforming import. Over the last two seasons, Goorjian has replaced one import from what I can tell (Groves), while Adelaide's coaches have replaced three (Chappell, Tyndale, Hodge).

Not to mention that it's hardly a crime to replace an injured player. Every team does it when they can - Perth brought in Ben Knight for Paul Rogers, NZ replaced two injured imports last season, etc.

Assuming they're on regular contracts, it's not like it's expensive - stop paying one, start paying another. And it's entirely within the rules, not even pushing a boundary or exploiting a loophole.

His record in the NBL is unrivalled and it is undeniable that he can get the most out of his players. In past Sydney teams, he's made heavy use of little known college recruits (ever see any of them make a draft list?) and role-playing imports, and this year he's squeezed the best out of guys like Carter (who could barely make a team a few years ago and even quit to play AFL if my memory is correct), Herbert, Vukona, etc.

Adelaide axed Tyndale (13.0 PPG) and got soundly beaten one game into the post-season with Grizzard (10 PPG). Darden averaged 11.1 PPG this year and Smith 13.8. Yet the Dragons still won the championship playing a swarming, all-round team game.

Goorjian isn't the vein-popper of old (check Joyce, Henry and Westover) and he's not the chief cap-buster (check the other Melbourne team) - these days, the criticism at the Dome appears to be mostly targeted at the fact that he (wait for it) stands up (listen for people yelling out "Sit down Goorj"). His big-dollar recruiting was limited to Worthington who many a few years ago barely thought deserved a role in the Boomers while Brisbane and now NZ have gone for Bruton, Cairns have snared Cat, Mee and Abney, etc.

If you don't like him, fine. But the Goorjian hate based on "he bankrupts teams" or "changes imports so much" or "he stands up and talks to the refs" memes are a little weak.

More to add on changing imports issue. Coach Goorijan didn't even want Cortez to start with but he still stuck with him till Cortez couldn't play no more

Goorj is a cheat.
Giants?
Magic?
Kings?
Dragons??????

Don't rate him at all.

Cat15,

name a club....therefore coach, that has not at some point given the appearance of "cheating" by breaking salary cap...paying under the table etc.

and he never coached the giants.

I am a long way with isaac here...he has got stuff this year from Carter, Herbert and others that really is impressive and he has done that basically everywhere he has been.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that I really like Brian Goorjian, and would have liked him to have coached the Sixers in recent years. Probably an unpopular opinion, but I'm sticking with it.

love him or hate him, he gets it done, albiet and ugly game style but he gets it done

no man Barlow was "this good" at Sydney and in my opinion (and some other pro's too) he could of been better under more years with Goorijan. Tiger's offense is too restrictive with all the set plays.

Swap Goorjian for Ninnis? Yes, yes, yes.

reality check people... mmm the dragons spent megga bucks on a squad.. which goorj demands from the owners.. add the element of him being the australian coach and what do u get, owner willing to spend the money and the best aussie talent striving to play at the next worlds and olympics. Goory uses so much his national coaching duties to his benifit and it really must be stopped, he should no longer be the national coach.. i can only hope brett brown gets the job.

if we really want to assess boy goorj assess his internationalo record where he cant buy the player and use his influnence as the national coach. he has coached the senior mens team to its worst peformances in the last eight years.

wake up basketball australia the guy just knows how to talk the talk (american bullSh$t artist)

To the dragons enjoy it while it lasts, but expect to fold in the next few years. As Capatain American Bullsh&t goorj will demand that the owners spend more so his record looks ever so perferct, cowan will do what his told by goorj, but in the end like all of goorj clubs the dragons will fold.


Basketball australia please give the head coaching job to a non nbl coach, ie brett brown, so we can stop the blatant use of goorj bringing the best australian talent to the club that he coaches in the nbl, enough is enough... bring on brett browm! and piss off brian "if you play for me you can make the olympic or world championship team" goorjian

no drb...another guy coached the Boomers to their worst performances in the last eight years.

I do not think any Coach would have taken the Boomers much further in any international event. You guys have to realize how much the rest of the world has improved. There are 25 nations now who could take a spot in the top ten on their day...back in 2000 there were probably 10-15.

there is no doubt that goorj uses his position and name to his advantage,why wouldn't he ?
thats why other coaches and fans are envious of him!!
he also needs to make a living!

he has absolutley nailed the recipe to winning in the nbl.
the recipe is not a complex one,although somewhat exposed when good, penetrating point gaurds are doing there jobs properly.
take game 4,and the first part of game 5 where croswell drew a lot of defence to him and opened up there offence.croswell was dragged for some minor mistakes in g/5 and was never really in the game after that.funnily enough neither where the tigers!!

the difference in coaches is that croswell would have been praised instead of yelled at if goorj was coaching him.the two types of players who dont respond to random yelling are veterans and rookies,i dont think westover is a very good courtside coach!

the dragons spent megga bucks on a squad

the best aussie talent striving to play at the next worlds and olympics

Thank you for the meme reference Isaac, I like this thread just that little bit more.

Sour Grape from a couple here.

A few FACTS for people.

1. I'm not silly enough to try and tell you that the Dragons are under the cap.

2. Almost all teams were over this year, including your own. It's fairly obvious which teams weren't, I would think.

3. The Dragons were not in the top FOUR for spending on player salaries this season.

4. Surprising to many, I'm sure, but the Tigers were NOT the top spending team this year either.

This is NOT a HUGE budget team that just won the championship. Goorjian and Cowan made some VERY nice moves....

- Securing Gibbo when he didn't have a team to go to
- Picking up Smith LATE in the season
- Getting the absolute best out of Herbert, Carter - A good (brilliant in game 5, actually) but not expensive import in Darden.

It all just came together.

I'll do you guys a deal....I won't come on here woofing about it, coz it's not my style. If you guys will stop putting the squad down when they completely deserve their piece of history this season.

'Clearly the top coach in the league, whether you think he drives clubs into financial ruin (I don't) or coaches an ugly style of game (not a fan of the 85-75 grinds when it comes to the finals) - he got the absolute best out of guys like Carter, Herbert, Vukona and Darden.'

-Vukona was a much better player for the Breakers
-Herbert hit 8 3-pointers in Adelaide playing under Heal.
-Darden is a gun but Goorjian only plays him 20mins/game, he would be a superstar in any other team(im sure you watched the 3 quarter?)

Vukona was NOT a better player for teh breakers, IMHO, but it is just opinion.

Herbie is a FAR better all-round player under goorj.

Darden is a good import.

I believe Goorj is a super coach in getting players playing a 'team game', but I dont believe he makes them better players. And lets not forget (ever since I can remember -maybe 94?) Goorj has had the most talanted and deepest teams, including this years team.

I think the Tigers had more firepower IMO.

I'm guessing Vukona played a different role this season (including a fraction less minutes) - would've played more PF at the Breakers and SF at the Dragons (hence similar steals, but fewer fouls and rebounds). I don't think he regressed - he was a starter on a championship team.

Herbert vs Adelaide - almost anyone's lit up against Adelaide. Cedar or Cook, Robertson, Joyce, etc.

I go over and over this argument every time I hear it, but I don't think people give enough credit to Goorj. Yes, he runs an expensive program, but this crap about getting the most talented team is a bit harsh. There have certainly been moments where it was true, but come on.

The Magic in 92 had some great players, but few of them would have been considered the best in the league. Most would have taken Gaze, Copeland, Bradtke, Simmons and Sibley as a starting five over Perry, Lucas, Rose, Bolden and Dorge. And after those five, they were role players like Parky, Ninnis.

In 96, they got great contributions from young players that were still finding their feet, Sam, Jason Smith and Frank Drmic. They had an excellent series from a young Anstey (who was rotting at the Tigers until then) and Mike Kelly (great guy, but a star by absolutely NO means). Another star of that series was Tony Ronaldson, who I think you'll find would credit Goorj for about 90% of his development.

Everywhere he goes, YES, Goorj has had some great players, but he's also had some young up and comers that he has identified and developed over a period of time. He's rarely had a STAR quality import (He inherited Williams) but gets them playing to their strengths and the teams requirements. Look at some of the names who have entered his programs as young "potentials" or "good" players....Jason Smith, Frank Drmic, Tony Ronaldson, Sam Mackinnon, Chris Anstey, Luke Kendall, Matt Neilsen, Brad Sheridan. There'd be a lot more on that list if I had the time.

Look at this season.....Who wouldn't have taken the Tigers roster in a heartbeat? Breakers maybe?

Apart from Wortho, where is this superstar roster? Smith was added late (we WERE 16-4 when he came in you realise), and Groves was certainly no star this season.

Darden is a role player (played a great "role" in the 3rd quarter on Friday night). Contrary to above, he's not a gun at all and his minutes went down over time as his game did.

Ingles has a big future, but has had a very ordinary season, Gibbo is young, Carter and Herbert were virtual nobodys (Herbert may have hit a few thress but he was NOWHERE near the player last season that he is now) and our Centres were an injury-prone guy who no-one thought would actually survive the season and a half blind guy, who struggles catching the ball half the time, who wasn't wanted anywhere else.

Compare the 36ers starters v Dragons

C Schensch v Burston = sixers
PF Balls v Wortho = even or sixers
SF Holmes / Grizz v Smith= Dragons
SG Maher v Darden = Sixers
PG Bruce / Davidson v Gibo = Dragons

Bench Sixers easily.

I would argue all day long that the sixers had a better team on paper than Goorj did. I have been a Goorj basher in the past but am now matruing in my old age to realise that he has done some remarkable things.

This doesn't mean that i like his style, just means that he is a winner.

Could you imagine what Donta Smith would be capable of if he was unleashed from Goorj regime???

Why does this always go on and on and on

Lets just say one thing

Bad Management (Ceo and Board) = Sydney Kings, Brisbane Bullets failure

That is all

You forgot Ingles in that line-up Brockman, but given that he had an average season and Maher's was pretty good, I'd call that even. I think Balls-Wortho is even too (defense from Worthington has to be considered).

Mentioned on tiger radio.. ' Julius Hodge, a name that won't go away. His game for the 36ers against the tigers that led to the tigers making changes to their line up, and a name still being mentioned as playing in Melbourne. '

'and a half blind guy, who struggles catching the ball half the time, who wasn't wanted anywhere else.'

Didnt that guy average around 20&10 2-3 season's ago?

You put Darden on any other team and play him 30+mins a game, you have yourself a top 5 import, end of story.

Sure Gibbo is young, but he sure did play some serious minutes for the Bullets in the GF winning series.

Id say in the last ten years Goorj would have had 85% of the best up and comers in the NBL playing on his teams? that helps.

Don't agree that Darden would be a top five import given the minutes. Ahead or at worst level with him: Victor, Williams, Ellis, Whitehead, Rickert, Low, Ballinger, Abney, Thomas, Ere, Smith, Franklin, Rychart. I reckon he'd beat Gruber (who didn't get a lot of minutes either) and Hinson (fairly average season).