Fair enough indeed......certainly let them have it after the more positive tone to his columns earlier in the season. I think most fans are thinking the same way and this may be a good test for the new owners - how will they respond?

Hard to argue with that article.....

All the talk has been about cutting Groves, but if Gilchrist doesn't focus, could they swap him for a SF and run Cortez as PG? Funny how the heat shifts.

I am an avowed fan of Boti's work, but sometimes he just really hits it on the head. This is one of the better examples.

Anyone think we have any change of being anything but 2-5 after the next two games? We play notoriously badly in Cairns. I seem to recall we have managed to break some really long losing streaks for them in recent years. And NZ last night showed that they are just starting to warm into the season.

At 2-5 we could just about write a position in the finals off in a year where plenty of teams will keep around the .500 mark. Even assuming we won every home game for the rest of the season, I can't see this team picking up enough road wins to make up the difference.

Agreed isaac, thats what id be doing. I wouldve thought Gilchrist wouldve come very cheap considering his jaded past. Bite the bullet, use the money lost as an 'investment'. Because if this team can be competitive, fans will return next season for the 'New NBL', but at this rate, they will bored with the style of play, lack of genuine emotion and not to mention losses.

Boti was spot on by the way.

Gilchrist has two big tests coming up - Cairns away and then the Breakers away.

I dare say his long term tenure here will be re-evaluated based on his response in those games to the Perth / Melbourne criticism being levelled at him and the squad in general.

With two hostile crowds no doubt ready to lay into him... not to mention the Bruton / Penney train geared up to go at him... it'll be interesting to see what happens.

I'd assume Groves isn't commanding huge $$$s by comparison.

Isaac, if I had an opportunity to replace one player on the team to have the most chance to improve team chemistry and on court performance, at the moment that player would be Gilchrist.

When the offensive play is so stagnant and ineffective and we appear incapable of confidently breaking a trapping defence, the point needs to take a fair whack of the blame. It is worse when you have a PG with an attitude and focus problem.

Memo to Gilchrist - start/keep making assists and getting your teammates involved in the game, and all will be forgiven.

XY, the way we seem so unlikely to win in Cairns is the reason I think we will win. Swear it always happens - just when you write them off, they conjure up something.

Thrashed with a feather duster IMO.

The one point I do agree with whole heartedly is Neil Mottram. IMO Neil should have been signed up to play for us. Last year he was forced to make way for Luke, but I reckon he could have easily played as a forward.

With an injured Matt Burston, we are seriously lacking height and need some brawn out on court. Motts will give us that beef.

Coops is by no means a starting 5 centre, and many would argue that his performance on court is satisfactory in defence, but insipid in offence. It is difficult to imagine him suiting up next season.

It appears to me as though Scotty is treading carefully with Molly. If he is up to NBL standard then throw him in the deep end and watch him swim.

We are seriously wanting in the F & C department. I say bring Motts back.

The other thing I can't get my mind around is the captaincy. Now, AB is our best player, but that doesn't mean you give it to the best player. IMO he is not the best option as captain. He is too introverted and have yet to see him exert himself as a leader. Rather, I see other players at timeouts and breaks geeing the players up.

I believe that the captaincy has brought too much pressure on him and he could do even better personally if he was solely focussed on being our best player. I would favour Jacob Holmes as the captain.

Agree with Isaac. Whatever game is penciled in as a win, we always find a way to drop. Whatever game is nigh on impossible, we'll thrash someone.

And if I can go back to what my Year 5 basketball coach explained to me - a point guard's job is to distribute the ball to the best option. Maybe Gilchrist could give that a go?

Personally, I think it'd be great if John went away, used all this as steam, got his head straight, put the team on his back in these next two away games and pulls a Wortho.

P.S Until we're riding high and winning games, I'd suggest we review the pre-game team huddle antics.

Motts is a great idea, then we can have 2 injured talls instead and then Matty has someone to talk to on the sidelines that he can see eye to eye with.

Lose Gilchrist and look for a new import PG or 4/5

Yep - Boti hit it on the head with that one...

cut gilchrist keep groves get a good centre

Comes back to the coaching staff. Hill rates himself too much and it well known in the NBL, that Scotty is too influenced by him. Cut Richard Hill and Gilly, agree, get a monster centre and take the pressure off Balls. slip Cortez into PG.

Brad Davidson anyone...?

Wait, last week a lot of people were saying that Groves should be cut...

Don't need Mottram, just put Garlepp out there a bit.

In raising Gilchrist/Groves, I wasn't suggesting cut either, just that it might work if it came to it. Right now I'd be getting Gilchrist on track because he did well enough in the first couple of games.

And why is Robbo in with SOS just because he thinks Mottram is a bit injury prone - a number of people would agree with that I bet.

I think its a disgrace that after every losso or poor performance you lot come on here and want someones head. Teams have bad games, players have bad games, one week you call a guy a hero and nickname him the messiah, next game you want him cut.
Not only that I think it is terrible how often a franchise in the NBL will clean out it's team, Why do you think teams like the sixers atm are inconsistent? half the team is new!
If you actually stick with the team, which the coaching staff picked as the best players available for 2-3 years, they will actually know how to play with each other and will have confidence in each other instead of crumbling under pressure

Anon, is Neil even available? I thought at one point he went overseas with Screen?

VC Fan we have had two absolutely embarrassing performances and we are expected to lose the next two games which would give us a 2-5 record. I think that's valid reasons for concern.

Also most of the teams have half a new team yet they seem to be consistent.

The criticism is warranted.

Criticism is a little over the top, but probably good for the team to understand the urgency of their situation.

Mottram recently joined Rhys Carter at Gothia Basket in Sweden. Could well have been available earlier.

Isaac, any chance we had of pulling off the miracle underdog victory in Cairns was jinxed the moment you mentioned it!

KJ, expecting to lose games isn't losing games. Talking about the situation doesn't need to go straight to "sack x y and z!" And other teams have hardly been consistent - NZ have been up and down, Tigers beat us but were drilled at home and beaten by the Blaze, Cairns started well and have been beaten on the road, Perth demolished us but were easily beaten by the Taipans, etc.

Yeah, for sure - definitely cause for concern, not disagreeing with that at all. Just more like "Hey Gilchrist, stick to the plan, go 100%" not "Hey half the team, find a new job." One second people are trying to give a guy a nickname, the week after he's a plausible sacking - know what I mean?

I see gilly said on his twitter that he had a MRI on his wrist and it was not the best and to pray for him, sounds good.

Exactly Isaac, that's why fans dont run basketball teams, coaches do. Realistically, this could just be a bad two game stretch, something that even the best teams have at some stage.

Things need to be addressed, but as you say, sacking people isnt the answer after a 2-3 start.

Gilchrist might be in a bit of pain - he's played 2 bad games -might be affecting him.
He's not a good long range shooter - don't think I'd cut him or Groves either.. think it can be worked thru
( as I keep saying - from seeing pre season training-they miss Burston)

Wow, fragile goods to damaged goods in a week. The Gilchrist saga has moved to a resounding yes on the "cry baby" stakes.
Can he do a Storey?
You guys know him better than I, but how can he contribute now?
Benching is probably going to have the reverse effect?
His confidence has to be through the floor, along with the teams and short of doing a lazarus its hard to see him helping your team in the future.
You could forgive him if he was putting out and things just were not going his way but....not putting out.....

I think he can work through it but he need to just do some simple things better that will make the team run smoother. Push the ball more, run the play quicker and not hold onto it as much. Once he starts to get his game faster the team will player better i think as long as balls get his touches. It is worrying but i think we are being a little drastic in our talk.

So JC is asking us to pray for his bad hand. It may be good idea if he prays for his existence on the team. What about his performance last Wed night when he went for a dive on the floor. Anyone would have thought it was some sort of potentially fatal injury. For crying out loud, take a look at Worthington's toughness, stop the jiving crap and earn your money.
Boti's description of him as putrid was right on the money. Best way for him to stop all the criticism is to start performing.
Eyes are also on our coaching staff, not convinced they can handle the pressure of a competitve season.

The heat may have shifted from Groves to Gilchrist but the point is, so far this season, the Sixers have two nothing imports. They're both awful. Gilchrist has hit the top of the hit-list, but Groves still stinks. What a wasted chance with having Balls as an Aussie. The chance of running essentially three imports could have been a major boost for the team. So far it seems they picked two total duds to run with Ballinger. Another year, another Sixers mess.

I said it yesterday and i will say it again, stop looking on court and start looking at the crap in the suit and tie.

Get that to work proper;y and do his job and the rest will fall into line.

The team itself is OK, not great, but this is not going to be a great year for them anyway, but if Ninnis is going to be there any period of time, he needs to learn how to do his job and not blame the players, they have no ehart, but heart starts from someone...If the 36ers dont have it on court they sure as shit better get it on the sideline...right now they dont have it anywhere...

I will continue to look closer at the coaching panel rather than blame the list....

I love Sixers fans. Makes me miss living in Adelaide town.

After seeing the Taipans onight the Sixers would have to be VERY confident. Its simple - stop Jones getting open looks and rebound and you cant lose...

If the Sixers capitualte Friday night this forum may well go into meltdown!

Made the decision to stop reading once the "cut gilchrist" talk started. Will return to threads like these once we start winning again, I can't handle some of the stupid things that are said by people on here when we're in a slump.

Out of interest, Mottram had 19 and 9 for Gothia Basket this week who he joined two games ago. But no, he is just a benchie in the NBL, and not a great one at that. Handy to have in reserve for Burston, but NBL teams dont really have the luxury of keeping blokes in reserve at the moment.

BTW Rhys Carter had 18 and 7 in that game.

Scotty sucks at picking the right imports.

IMO opinion the one thing the Scott needs to do is give the players the mindset and freedom to play a confident (in themselves and there team mates) flowing fast breaking game.

It was like grass growing on Wednesday, it must have been one of the slowest, boring games I have seen from the Sixers. The fact that could'nt shoot from anywhere outside the key was also critical in their loss. A lot of players seemed more worried about making a mistake rather than being proactive/attacking in their game.

For a while I watched Ng making cuts, getting free up the court, in the wings etc, but not once was the ball delivered quickly to him - too mutch crap trying to outdribble a defender by the PG was also pretty obvious as were the lack of assists and a high rate of turnovers.