Johnson/Dowdell replacing Burston Molitor and Cooper.

(and also allows Ballinger to play more minutes at PF than he did last season . As he played mostly at Centre with Burston not fit and Cooper not used much)

So this is actually an upgrade on last season's situation.

Molitor wasn't really part of the PF/C rotation, more a SF at NBL level I would've said.

I think it's Johnson/Dowdell vs Burston/Cooper if you want a comparison. I did really like Burston and Cooper obviously had experience, but it looks like the plan here is to run a smaller team, a little like the grand finalists Perth and Wollongong did last year (where Schenscher, Behrendorff, etc got few minutes in the GF series). Gold Coast and Townsville (the other finals teams) did similar things with Bradshaw/Maxey and Roberts/Hinder as their bigs.

Liked Dowdell when he first came into the league, but he came along very slowly before dropping back a notch the last couple of seasons. Still young and apparently fairly strong for his build, so hopefully Marty can get the best out of him. I'd guess this is 9th or 10th man, so comparable to Molitor from last season's roster?

It's probably more a different approach than an upgrade/downgrade?

Anon, if you got Schenscher, you could not have brought in a second import plus a back-up point guard. That is, unless you started down that track earlier and left out Hill or whoever for an unknown.

25 points now for three players - two imports and another bench player?

So I guess that rules out a Forman Return has he is a 7. I still think we need a backup PG and would love to get Jason Cadee (3 Points) or Kelvin Robertson (5 Points) if he is healthy

What's the fascination with getting players who used to play for us? As much as I like some aspects of Forman's game, I think he still has a lot to prove at NBL level. Coming off a wooden spoon, I don't think he's the type of player Adelaide need, regardless of whether he played for us or not.

Hmm I don't quite know what to make of this signing. His career stats to date are not too flash, from what other people have been saying on here about his performances in the SEABL he hasn't exactly been a force and he is only 6"8. I'm hoping Clarke has a good plan in place and might be able to get the best out of him. Hopefully he flourishes.

There were a few other options out there that may have been worth considering i.e. Mottram, Graeme Dann, Trueman, Forman. I also thought that Garlepp may have been worth taking a chance on.

Im pretty sure Aaron Bruce is a 5, so is the plan to get Bruce plus 2 imports?

That would give us

C Johnson/Dowdell
PF Ballinger/Holmes
SF IMPORT/Hill
SG Ng/Herbert
PG IMPORT/??Bruce

That would be a pretty nice team, especially if we do land Bruce and get a import who can play some minutes in the 2, i reckon players of the mould of GC's imports Ubaka and Maxey would be handy for this team, and would be quite versatile,

Not too worried about Dowdell as i dont think he is expected to play big minutes as id say Johnson and Ballinger will play most of the C minutes with Ballinger and Holmes and maybe the import playing the PF minutes.

If you compare that potential roster to say last seasons say Wollongong, Gold Coast and Townsville, i dont reckon its too much different in talent level, so hopefully we can sneak back into the payoffs!

I hope they do sign Bruce. His struggles 2 years ago are well documented but he has heaps of talent and hopefully a year off will have put some fire back in the belly again. I think he was just burnt out after playing at the AIS, going to college, playing in the national team, and then playing in the NBL without much break. If he's rated a 5 I personaly think he'd be a steal and there's not too many other Australian PG options out there rated at 5 points or below. Robertson, Demos and BJ Carter are the only ones that come to mind. I'd take Bruce over them.

If they do land him they will hopefully be able to get two impressive imports with great scoring ability. I feel that the sixers season will depend alot on their 2 import's ability to score consistantly.

the other pgs who are 5 or below are
Henare, Robertson, Kerry Williams, Luke Martin, Jason Cadee, BJ Carter, Joyce,Daniel Dillon, Rhys Carter

My preferences would be

1 Bruce
2 Daniel Dillon (rumoured to tigers)
3 Rhys Carter
4 Luke Martin (rumoured to Kings)
5 Kerry Williams (?? Cairns)
6 take a chance on a Cadee or another rookie

Dowdell is 6'8 in shoes, he is not a back up centre.

I just can't see Bruce coming back, especially not to be anyone's backup. On Jonno's list I'd prefer Carter. His last year in the NBL was great, though that might have been a case of Goorjian getting something out of a guy that no-one else can.

Dowdell is ok, though probably only a marginal improvement on Cooper.

you guys are kidding yourselves... dowdell is a slow SF... PF at best!! theres no way he can play meaningful minutes at centre

Henare is not a free agent. Not sure if Robertson has been fit enough to consider?

I think Dowdell has to be compared with those of similar points value, so someone like Trueman rather than Mottram. Here are Dowdell's SEABL stats.

Wonder if anyone will go for Lang from Melbourne. Surely the Tigers would keep Crosswell?

Not sure how likely Bruce might be, but if Dowdell was cheap, that would reserve funds for the remaining spots which isn't a bad thing.

Johnson will most likely be asked to play 30-35 minutes per game which at his age should not be too difficult, but if he gets injured at some point we will be in a little bit of trouble. On the other hand, the NBL is not full of huge, dominant centres anyway. Anstey has retired, Schenscher may not end up on any roster, Rogers has retired, Rickert appears to be gone from NZ, and apart from Crosswhite in Cairns and Davidson in Wollongong there just aren't too many more centres who pose a threat inside. Even those two fall in love with jumpshots. Maybe Ballinger and Dowdell might be able to hold down the centre position in the absence of Johnson, who knows?

why would we take a 3 man at the 5 spot over cooper?

It will be interesting,
Worth noting that we one more games last season without a centre, Burston was good when he came back, but % of wins fell

Im really discouraged about how this team is coming together. I agree with who ever said we need 2 superstar imports to just make the playoffs.

Personally I would have taken Forman over Holmes, both are rated 7. Ng definately shouldnt be a 7, he should be a 6 tops.

I hope we dont sign Bruce, thought he was average when he played here in 08.

Getting rid of Cooper is the best move the team can make. I'm happy with him gone.

He's an old has been now.

He was ok 7 years ago with energy off the bench with some quick blocks. Now he's useless and does nothing.

It isn't really a case of who the 36ers fans want in their team, it is who the Coach wants, the management is prepared to pay for and most importantly, who wants to play for the 36ers that decides the make up.

Port Power found that out when trying to arrange a trade for Burgoyne. The only footballers who were prepared to come to Adelaide unless they were desperate for a contract. Not saying this is the case in the NBL, but with a lot of free agents and a new team in 2010-11, it is a players market, not a club market.

Champ33 - Cooper isn't coming back. Probably isn't a need to bag the guy every time you post.

"We're probably looking for a back-up (Australian) point guard to complete our 10-man roster for next season," Fitzsimons said.

Adelaide has left no stone unturned, revisiting 2009 point guard Aaron Bruce and talking with star Tasmanian junior Hugh Greenwood and St Mary's University-based Matthew Dellavedova.

"We're hoping Jeff is a diamond in the rough and will thrive with the right opportunities," Fitzsimons said.

"He's also a good team man, quite prepared to play back-up minutes and put the club's needs first."

Now Delly would be a great pick up, hopefully Clarke can encourage him over here with playing time. Would not mind Bruce back either.

Any chance one of the imports is a 5? Johnson becomes a back up then and we secure an import PG?

C- Import / Johnson
PF - Ballinger / Holmes
SF - Hill / Dowdell
SG - Ng / Harbert
PG - Import / ???

In any case, Marty is really going to need get the best out of a lot of young guys for us to be competetive.

I hope they are looking at Rhys Carter too.

The 36ers once again assembling a team which is more than likely going to miss the playoffs. Johnson is not a proven starter, Dowdell is not a reliable back centre at 205 cm he is a small foward Ive heard from many sources PF at best! Ng and Hill at SG doesnt scare anybody. I like Ballinger who has been reliable and a star at times for some time and Holmes has had his time at the club. The two imports would likely have to be outstanding- with one being a PF who can play C and one SG/SF with an Australian point guard and a relaible back up PG.

If we could find imports in the mould of Rolan Roberts and Willie Farley aswell as a reliable Aussie PG with a decent back up- Top 3 would not be out of the question but finding those players is easier said than done!

Your Mum, you're really discouraged but your prime suggestion is Oscar in place of Holmes (when Ballinger and Johnson are not known as defenders)? I don't think that's a better plan.

And while the points values are public, the salaries aren't. One 7 (Ng) might not the same price as another 7 (D Ryan, M Dickel, etc). Ng as a 6 frees up only one point.

The best free agents are locked down or overseas. Fans have to be realistic about who is available and appreciate that it's very quickly become a player's market again as well.

Is it just me or do people keep forgetting a few things. Firstly it's great to say lets get this bloke or that bloke but as said earlier that is assuming they want to come to Adelaide. It is not a case of the club wants so they gets, the player has a fair choice in it to.

Secondly how far do you think 1 million can go, Williams and Ballinger in the same team would probably mean that there is no money left for anyone.

The coach has to be trusted to make his decisions and we should back him at least until we have seen what he can do with them !

If we could find imports in the mould of Rolan Roberts and Willie Farley

That would be great!!! But if they dont want to come please get something close if possible- but please dont go after a PG import we need a beast to help Ballinger up front and someone who other teams are scared of in the SG or SF position compared to Ng, Hill Herbert who are roles players not starters!

Ferr888 - most would have said that Gold Coast and Wooloongong had assembled average teams last season too.

I dont care about Gold Coast and Wollongong- I care about Adelaide and we have a dud team for too many years now its time to get serious, I think all would agree!

Agreed!

Disagree

'Its on70' and 'Ferr88' from same IP.

The point you're missing is that of the four teams that made the finals last year, the bulk of their frontcourt minutes went to mobile, undersized bigs rather than typical centres. Guys like Roberts, Hinder, Bradshaw, Petrie, Vukona, Wagstaff, Redhage, Cattalini, Tragardh, Davidson, Gruber, etc. The more typical centres like Schenscher, Vanderjagt and Behrendorff were, come finals time, more on the outer.

The game in Australia has changed over time.

Clarke seems to be going for a classic "Dunlap Youth team". Not a bad way to go; would be great to get a combined Delladova/Bruce comibintation in. Still all pro for getting Bruce back, having guys the same age with the same reflexes could reduce the turnover count a decent amount.

Having Balls, Delladova & Ng on the floor gives the team a great perimeter lineup. Having a lineup that you can run with 3-4 guys at 6'5" to 6'8" isn't a bad idea either.

So many possibilities. Clarke must have some pull.

Isaac I like your point aswell, I dont mind what way we go really I mean Roberts is an undersized big at 6-6 that i mentioned but as long as we are winning im happy.

I wonder how you felt about the squad when Matt Garrison arrived Ferr88 ?

Relax holmes...

I can't see much point forming a judgment on the overall squad until the imports and backup PG are signed. Too many important pieces still missing.

That is totally right hereschenes, I'm with you man. PS I always love your posts.

Ferr, I try to err on the positive side until I've seen how they work in real games, so for now I'm happy to trust in Marty's plan for the team (whether it be for quick success or a longer term thing) and that he can get the best out of guys like Johnson, Dowdell, Hill, etc. Very few would've had faith in McLeod's plan last year with the Hawks, I didn't rate the Crocs on paper, and didn't pick the Cats for top spot.

Ferr88, with Dowdell signed there is only 3 spots left, so we can't get two Aussies to cover the point guard spot unless we only go with one import. I think we are basically locked in to an import at PG and SF with this team.

Not sure what to think about Dowdell as I have never seen him play. What I was hoping for primarily was a big man who will bring some energy, aggression and rebounding off the bench.

He seems to have enough height (basically same as Trueman) but I am concerned at the comments from some that he is really more of a small forward. Can people comment on what his rebounding is like?

If Dowdell is more of a small forward, then I think it makes it more likely that the Sixers will chase a big athletic import wing, who could play some power forward for short stretches. Maybe someone like Ratzsch or Bennett Davison?

That scenario would certainly fit with what Isaac is saying about following the league trend towards small ball.

Loco, seeing your lineup also made me wonder if Dowdell really has been signed as another SF and will compete with Hill for the starting spot? I hope not, because I think Clarke would have his work cut out for him to get enough out of the SF and SG positions then. If that were the case, though, we could do worse than grab Rickert if the Breakers don't resign him!

Intriguing to hear that the Sixers have been talking with Dellavedova, but I'd be shocked if he decided to leave college after one year to play in the NBL. He'd still be hoping to get a shot at the NBA at this stage I would've thought.

Just saw this in Boti's article:

"He gives us a good back-up centre with a jumpshot," Fitzsimons said.

Guess that puts paid to the theory that he might share SF with Hill! (I know, crazy idea. Loco's lineup just got me wondering!)

Dowdell has the same body type and height as Holmes, he hussles on D and can shot the 3. He has played pf most of his career (especially in Perth)

Rumour is that the club is still in talks with Aaron Bruce and it is looking mor eand more likely he will return as a back up point guard to an american.
My opinion is it's a fantastic move by Marty who is assembling a very young side which a couple of senior players who will complement. I think we will see a very fast running side who will be disciplined on the defensive end.
My feeling is they may look at Ratzch (Sorry if spelling is incorrect) at the SF. He looked okay at the HSH but I think they may be able to do better, but again could possibly pick him up at a cheap price considering he's coming out of the SEABL.
I know some people say he has baggage, but McKee would be a very good pick up at the starting PG spot.
I think Jono hit the nail on the head with the team he put together earlier on.

If we can get Bruce, I would for more of a Combo Guard so we can play Bruce and the import and the same time.

Yeah fair call. We would have a reasonably flexible team then with Herbert able to play the 2 or 3 spot, the same with Hill, Holmes, the 3 or 4, Ballinger 4 or 5 and the same with Dowdell from the 3-5 spot.

Big Sexy, according to the NBL site and others, Dowdell is 205cm while Jacob is only 198cm. Pretty big difference in height. Good to hear he hustles on D though.

Interestingly, if the weights are at all accurate on the NBL site, Dowdell is heavier than Trueman and also Cooper, is the same size as Larry Davidson and bigger than Petrie. So that suggests he won't be pushed around as much as we have been used to. Hope he plays tough like Jacob!

If rumours are right about Bruce and he is committed to getting in shape and to having an NBL career, I think he could be a good signing. As mentioned above though, you'd have to get him mins at SG as well and that might create a bit of a logjam when you're trying to get Ng and Herbert consistent minutes too.

cooper will end up at hawks and average 20 n 10

From what I have seen of Dowdell I wouldn't think he was to much taller than Jacob, I think someone stated he is more like 200cm. If he is that big then I will be very happy with his signing.

would be good to see 2 aussies at the point like delly, bruce, carter or any other good players ive missed and like others have suggested a scoring SG/SF and a C who can rebound, score and compliment balls if possible

skr21 - as mentioned above only 3 slots left. Can't sign two Aussie PG's a SF and a C.

Beantown- Do you think one of our imports will be a PG if we can only sign one aussie? Also should we have maybe not signed Ng Herbert or Hill- and gone down the road of another PG.

Personally I think our imports should be someone 4 and 5 and a shooter/slasher for the 2 or 3 but now might need to be able to run the point.

Dowdell is playing for Radfords former SEABL team. No world beater and will never be much at NBL level. Don't be surprised if one or more import comes out of the Tasmanaian SEABL sides. Brendan Polk could be first one signed.

Imagine if we signed Roberts and Mckee and a solid back up PG- Grand Final would be a must!

Johnson
Ballinger
Holmes
Hill
Mckee

Roberts
Dowdell
Herbert
Ng
Back up PG

I would go for...
Roberts/DJ
Ballinger/Dowdell
Holmes or Hill (would have to show some improvement in decsion making)
Ng/Herbert
McKee/Bruce

If it's true that they have put an offer to luke schenscher doesn't that make the signing of either Holmes, Hill or Dowdell sort of a waste? (assuming they are able to land schenscher). Assuming that the only import spot would go to a PG we would therefore be quite weak at the SF position because those three haven't proven to be consistant scorers.

Schenscher/Johnson
Ballinger/Dowdell
Hill/Holmes
Ng/Herbert
Import/Bruce (or some other young Aussie)

Although we would have a great centre tandem and a respectable team, there isn't a huge amount of athleticism or creativity in that squad and we would be relying too much on last years players i.e. Hill, Herbert, Ng and Holmes who didn't get the job done in crunch moments.

I agree with what Big Sexy said earlier. I think if we get Bruce than a versatile combo import who can play the point and the 2 spot would be the way to go, and I think I would prefer to get a rebounding SF/PF import with athleticism who can stretch the floor instead of Schenscher. It would just make the squad abit more dynamic.

Ferr88, I do think that we perhaps should have held back and signed only 2 out of Hill, Herbert and Ng. But that's all academic now and as some have said, perhaps SOS and Clarke knew there weren't too many better options available.

We agree on the scoring SF, but I don't think we can go with another big man now, because we need two quality ballhandlers. One of the Sixers biggest problems last season was bringing the ball up the court and getting into their offence. That will only get worse if we don't have a gun import PG and a reliable pair of hands to give him a rest for a few minutes each game.

Also, you'd be doing well to find a top notch small forward who can score inside and out, defend athletic wings AND run the point for stretches. If they're that good, we probably can't afford them! Better to find someone who can do a couple of those things extremely well and get a budget backup point.

My final point would be that its harder to find high impact import centres than it is to find gun import PGs. So for better or for worse, we're pinning our hopes on Dan Johnson stepping up!

senehcsereh - gold, my friend. Carry on.

Anon, Ere would certainly be an awesome pickup. Still seems to be putting up good numbers in Italy. I have not heard anything about him returning to the NBL though.

Kavossy Franklin is getting a bit old isn't he? I'd be keen on a PG who is an excellent ball-handler, good defender and shoots the three well. Being a good penetrator would be nice, but not as critical if we get a good scoring SF like Ere.

Oxymoron- Anon (274840) - "dedicated Sixers fan"

For the imports i like the idea of a Benett Davison or Kevin Ratsch type player, as they could both play 3-4 spots and i rekocn given the nbl is a smaller league a Davison type could even play some minutes in C as he did at HSH.

For the PG a guy who can play defence, run a team and still give us 10-15pts would be ideal a Darnell Mee type, a guy like Troy Jackson from the Fleet on HSH or someone of his mould would be good IMO. Especially if we get Aaron Bruce who is almost good enough to start the import could also be a bit of a Combo guard like a Franklin or Ubaka.

I wouldnt mind seeing

C Johnson(25 mins)/Dowdell(5mins)/Ballinger (5 mins)/Davison (5mins)
PF Ballinger (25mins)/Holmes(5 mins)/Davison (10mins)
SF Davison (15mins)/Hill(15 mins)/Holmes (10mins)
SG Ng(15 mins)/Herbert (15mins)/Ubaka (10mins)
PG Jackson or Ubaka (15mins)/Bruce (25 mins)

That gives us a fairly versatile line up and we could go quite small and quick and also starts quite big with someone like Davison (who is very athletic and looks to have improved his outside shot a bit) at SF.

It also bloods plenty of youg guys most of the team would be u/30 (except Ballinger and Davison)and many would be u/25 or around 25, so can build a core for the future whilst being competitive now, as others have said i personally didnt rate Perth, Wollongong and Tonsvilles rosters as highly as they ended up and this roster would be on paper fairly good in comparison IMO.

What about the Burdman?

Would be great to see him in the team somewhere - can't we contract him as #10 or #11?

I love all these anonymous people who will all of a sudden jump on the band wagon when we start winning games. It's ok to have your reservations, but ffs, to go off on the back to back wooden spoons is just ridiculous.

Seriously, I think we get more support from the fans of other teams!

Sounds to me like they have offered Luke a contract on there terms and are hopeful he excepts.
If they get Luke then they will run with one import & someone like Bruce @ the point.

If they don't get Luke then they will sign a 4 or 5 man import along with an import combo guard and someone like Bruce as back up point.

so my tip would be either of the following:

1. Bruce / Herbert
2. Farley / Ng
3. Holmes / Hill
4. Ballinger / Dowdell
5. Luke / Johnson

or

1. Import / Bruce
2. Ng / Hill
3. Import / Herbert
4. Ballinger / Holmes
5. Johnson / Dowdell

Either that or maybe Luke is a smoke & mirrors type thing where they know they can't afford Luke but want to be seen to look like they have tried to secure him so to avoid backlash when he signs with Sydney.

Either way, I think although some have said Farley would not be an option the fact he desperately wants to be a 36er will work in his favor because coach has said he wants to sign guys who want to play for the club...

Certainly if they did get Luke, it would be easier to bring in Farley for a starters role in the 2 spot, bring Ng off the bench at 2 and use Holmes/Hill at the 3.

I'd be happy with either of those options that player 99 has mentioned, and would personally love to see Farley and Schenscher in 36ers colours, they seemed to combine well at HSH which is good, along with Aaron Bruce

My reading of Boti's news today is that Schencher, Bruce, Greenwood and Dellavedova all had offers from the 36ers but are now unlikely.

I like the fact that we appear to be recruiting to play 10 deep. Ninnis's 8 man rotation was old school, and Perth have shown that 10 deep if you can afford it provides a lot more different looks and flexability. 10 players fighting for minutes and provides more competition than 8 players fighting for minutes.

The fact that Ratzch is not mentioned, means he is likely still on the radar, and from what little I have seen of him, i think he would be a good fit.

I doubt Dowdell gets minutes.

Bruce is a 5 isnt he?
and the others are 10s so 25 would fit in 2 imports + bruce or 1 import+ bruce + schenscher

Unless the two imports are absolute guns (clearly won't be)

If we get 2 quality imports and Bruce, this team is reasonably comfortably better than last year's team.

We've lost Gilchrist, Groves, Burston, Cooper and Molitor.
We've picked up 2 imports, Johnson, Bruce and Dowdell.

Collectively, our 2 new imports would have to be easily better than Gilchrist and Groves you would think. Groves was about as bad an import as we've seen, Gilchrist's game just didn't seem to fit too well.
Burston vs Johnson is a debateable one on talent, but considering we only got 22 out of the 28 games out of Burston and 7 of those, he played 15 mins or less and didn't do anything, we will improve on that output.
Cooper to Bruce is a big step up imo. Cooper hit double figures once in the whole season. He also only had 13 blocks, which is usually all he's good for.
Then there's Dowdell instead of Molitor. Molitor played a grand total of 18 minutes for the season. Dowdell at least gives us an option. Whether that be meaningful minutes/injury coverage/to give Johnson/Ballinger a breather.
Having a Centre will allow Ballinger to play his best position where he is close to the best in the league.

I know it's been said, but it needs to be repeated to the doubters. We were top in Round 10 this season. Burston had missed half of that time. We also lost a fair few very winnable games.

Looking at what's left over, Sydney still don't have any players and if they don't hurry, could struggle to find much of value.
Townsville only have the 2 players. Hinder and Cedar. They've already released Roberts and Homicide and lost Hoare.
Wollongong have released their 2 best players in McKee and Tragardh and are yet to add anyone.
Melbourne will be losing Anstey, MacKinnon, Hodge, Johnson and they haven't hurried to sign Kendall or Worthington so could lose them too.
New Zealand could possibly lose Penney to the NBA and/or CJ and haven't signed Rickert yet.
Our list should be better, Conceivably, all of those teams could get weaker.
Perth obviously have a ridiculous team again, and have been given a gift from the NBL with the points scheme allowing them to have Martin, Robbins, Weigh Williamson at 5 and Wagstaff at 3, so if we're comparing ourselves to them, we probably aren't there. But it's hard to compete with 70 points against a team with effectively 79 points.
Gold Coast's team will be good again too, but they've also had the helping hand of Goulding at 1 apparently.

Jeez they need some help with the season they had.!!

Bruce might be rated as 6 , if he wants to come here from the USA. On this I can't say very much.
Ratzch might be rated as 9.

What a bunch of total idiots we have as so called fans. (with a few exceptions) or is it just this site.

1) They changed the coach, if anyone watched a game last season it was that obvious that Gilchrist did what he wanted with no dicipline or direction, we had the rest of the team standing around watching him give it up in the last 4 seconds of the shot clock and wondering what the f......k they were going to do with it when and if they got it.
Just the new coach would have put last years team in the top 4.
You are all armchair coaches, if this one hasn't sunk in by now, well what can I say!

2) We played with 7-8 players all season, Molly and TG were a waste of space, the coach never used them

3) How many games did Matt play?????????

4)They beat evey team except Melbourne, even with the coach they had.


We now have a roster where 10 can play, we dont have any injury prone players, we have a coach who will give direction and coach.

We will have a team that will work together

We will have coaches that will work together

We just have fans with shit for brains

Seriously wooden spoon already.

Get a life.

I am ready for this team, it is young, it is tougher, it will be fitter, it will be drilled and tuned

Is Wagstaff a 3? Weigh a 5? That is ridiculous. Thens Schenschers a 10, Ng a 7..something is not right there. I am confident we will be much better than last year, hopefully the team will play with poise, intensity and passion something that all the skill will not buy you..our team looked talented last year and look where it got us..

Ferr88, I've copped a lot of flack for saying the same things you have said but its only natural that people don't want to put up with the same shit for another year. Its been going on too long now and its about bloody time that the situation is turned around. I don't care how much you sugar coat the situation, its just not acceptable if the team assembled this coming season is not going to be competitive enough to make the playoffs. Making the playoffs has to be an absolute minimum expectation.

Players not wanting to come to Adelaide can only mean one of the following:

1. They've been offered a position on another team
2. They are good enough to make it overseas.
3. They are not looking for a basketball job.

Apart from the above, players will come to Adelaide. So its up to the club to assemble a decent squad.

Another thing I would like to see the NBL change if the quality of Australian players are in short supply is increase the imports to 3 and make an adjustment to the points cap to accommodate it. A good quality league is important and Australian fans love to see a good entertaining import so I doubt they would have a problem with a team with 1 more import and 1 less Australian.

We are signing the same players who came bottom the previous season. Johnson is a down grade to Burston, Dowdell doesnt seem to big of an improvement on Cooper.

I admit I dont know players salaries, only point ratings. First of all I would have tried to sign Schenscher instead of Johnson. Isaac is saying the smaller centres are the way of the future well Johnson isnt that. He is a poor mans Schenscher. I would have picked up Forman over Holmes, imaging Luke inside with Balls, Forman and Ng spotting up? I probably wouldnt have bothered signing Ng for 7 points, Id prefere Kendall (even though I hate him) or Phil Jones. I would then go a import SF/PF who can defend to cover for Forman and Balls suspect D and an import PG. My team would look:

Schenscher/Back up C worth 6
Ballinger/Forman
Import/Hill (wopuld actually take G. Dann over Hill)
Herbert/Kendall or P Jones
Import/R. Carter

Total 70 points.

If only Your Mum was picking the side.........

The first rule in Basketball, don't let your MUM coach the team

Real Fan, just for the record, Tom G was contracted as the 11th player - he was only able to play for a handful of games when he was activated due to other players being injured. We ran with 9 most games, Molly was 10th with very little court time.

Otherwise, you are the first shred of common sense I've read on here for a while!

My bad Gazza
All this negative talk is bullshit, last years team was good enough, just no-one steering the ship.
This years signings so far have already improved on two positions from last year with the imports still to come.
Just cannot understand what all the negative shit is about.

Is Wagstaff a 3? Weigh a 5? That is ridiculous.

Isaac

so for now I'm happy to trust in Marty's plan for the team (whether it be for quick success or a longer term thing)

I think he will get his first year grace as would be normal, second year, while the SOS would love a championship, they would be monitoring where Clarke has gone and if they like the direction he is taking the club into.

If the answer is...we love it...obviously it will be another year, if it is...what the fu..well i can guess what they would say...

I think everyone here know's I'm into 'if you dont perform..you get moved along'...

:-)

I can only see positives from the team they are assembling. You only have to look back the last title that Adelaide won. The team on paper looked average but they worked because they were enthusiast and they played for each other. look at the hawks. Very average on paper, lost there import and still got to the Gf. A team of good players that play together are better than a team of superstars that play for themselves. Perhaps we should see how these guys play before we put ridiculous statements of wooden spoons forward. I am looking forward to a new season with perhaps an emphasis on playing Defense. Bring on the season.

Schenscher certainly has a fan club in Adelaide.....
I tend to think he's soft and slow.
Sure Ng can shoot but is he capable of anything else, signing Phil Jones would have made more sense to me, he can shoot the 3, take it inside and has good ball handling skills and a lot of experience.

I think it would be pointless to make it a longer term thing because 2 seasons without success and you're out. He needs to bring this success immediately to guarantee his job. Didn't Ninnis say he needed another year but he didn't get it.

Dowdell does nothing but come on and start jacking up 3's when he gets some court time.

Very good response Isaac, based on facts not uninformed suppositions like most anonymous posters do. Until the final three names are known, the team actually plays some games, then how can anyone say how the team will perform and what the new coach has and will bring to the team.

I love hearing from anon people who say they are true dedicated supporters and spend all their time bagging the team and the process no matter which way it goes and then say they will not buy tickets either.

If the perception is Adelaide supporters know alot about basketball let's hope they don't read here.

I have to agree with what a fair few people have been saying on here, we may have finished bottom last year but the season could have been so different if we were able to close out matches. There were atleast 5 games at the dome and a couple interstate where we blew last qtr leads because we had no one able to dribble with confidence in the final minutes when we were pressed, Ninnis had the wrong matchups on opposition star players (i.e. Groves on Worthington) and no one was able to step up and take the big shots.

It was obvious that Groves had lost his confidence, Gilchrist was a better starter than finisher and the biggest factor was that we missed Brett Maher. For years he was the guy who did the job in the last qtr and last years team was unable to adjust to life without him (not to mention Ballinger was asked to play huge minutes at centre banging with bigger bodies and looked tired late in the fourth). But they were competetive in the majority of matches and if Clarke can sign a true import PG, a confident scoring import who likes the ball in his hands, get a little confidence back in Brad Hill and have Ballinger playing at PF I think the sixers will be around the mark this year.

Nothing is more serious than basketball on the internet. NOTHING! YARGH!

* hurls keyboard at suction-cup basketball ring and into bin *

Drew, Boti and I were talking last season and agreed that even a half-fit Brett Maher on court in the clutch last season would've likely changed the results of enough games that the 36ers would've been in the mix. Especially that Breakers game in NZ; changing that result alone would've lifted us a game and dropped them a game.

or a Brad Davidson

Can someone point me to the 'View Anon posts? On/Off' option?

I just thought I would have a look at some of the stats from last season for both DJ and Burston. I personally see DJ as being a great signing. He is only 22 years of age so he counts as our Development Player. When he played good minutes for Melbourne last season he performed well, so I decided to compare games where both DJ and Burston played more than 20 minutes and here are the results...
DJ- Averaged 22.5 minutes over 15 games (+20mins)
Pts- 15.3 @ 58.8%FG, 50%3PT, 80.7%FT
Rebs- 3.3 OR, 2.5DR, 5.8TR.
Other- 2.6 FLS, 0.5 BLKS, 0.7 AS, 0 STLS, 1.1 TO

Burston- Averaged 26 minutes over 16 games of +20mins
Pts- 12.3 @ 52.7%FG, 0%3PT, 62.3%FT
Rebs- 2.7 OR, 4.9DR, 7.6TR
Other- 3.4 FLS, 0.5 BLKS, 0.7 AS, 1.2 STLS, 1.3 TO

So as you can see DJ is better in most categories except rebounding, which is something he can easily work on. The only other category he gets beaten in is steals, once again if Marty is serious about defence this will improve. The only reason DJ didn't have these stats right across the year was due to playing behind Anstey and Knight whilst they were injury free. The reason why Burston didn't have these figures across the whole season was because HE was injured. Burston is a 10 season player, DJ 2 years.
Great pick up in my opinion.

I agree, Player23 - DJ is a great signing, just for being a decent player with a load of potential, and it's a huge bonus that he covers the under-(arbitrary age that I can't remember) option at the same time.

Can someone point me to the 'View Anon posts? On/Off' option?

Anon, the Under 24 player and a Development Player are not the same thing!

hereschenes, it was U23, now it's U24 with a cut-off around April 1st. Grabbing Johnson for two years under the ruling is pretty useful, I agree.

Wasn't there a backlash last season from some clubs re: the U24 rule as it meant young players were more likely to wind up in the US College system as opposed to the NBL? (U23 rule wound up with a one year gap from memory or something). Very happy it's U24 for 10/11, although that doesn't help Brad Hill last season...

I'm a huge fan of the DJ signing - great development potential and played some great games when Anstey went down - I remember being very impressed with him when his minutes went up at Melb.

Clarke went for Greenwood and Delly..WTF?
Those two have the brightest futures ahead of them..Delly is an amazing player, and Greenwood is so smooth.
But, why would Clarke go for them...Delly has come out of a season that saw him start for St. Marys and play 32-35 mins a game! Furthermore his school reached the sweet 16 for the first time ever. Why would he want to come play a backup PG role when he is the starter on a team that seems to be garnering more and more national press.
And why would Greenwood forgoe what will be a stellar college career (no doubt), to ride the bench or get hardly any mins in the NBL.
Clarke seems a bit desperate, but at the end of the day he is a very good coach

Happy with the recruiting so far. I expected Clarke to use some of his AIS knowledge putting together the team. So I'm not surprised that he's done so. All seems promising so far and I'll wait to see how they play as a team.

I think DJ is a definite upgrade on Burston. I feel that some of those close games last year Burston was not able to hold onto the pass under the bucket at clutch time. Not all those passes were that hard to catch and should have been anticipated by a big man in that position.

If we recruit that last 3 well then we will play down to number ten. Teams that do that usually make the play offs. Get there and it's all possible.

We lost several close games last year at the clutch. Lets put it all in perspective.

Mac, you have to make the call though. Never know. You'd be speaking with Mills, Jawai, guys in Europe, etc. Never know when someone has a change in plan and might be willing to sign. And if not this season, that interest could pay off in the future.

In the past, the 36ers have been burnt by not staying in touch (or not enough) with various prospects. Newley was a classic case.

Macdub, players like Anstey, Mackinnon, Dwight, Andersen, Newley, Ingles, Jawai (after one year) and now likely Cadee have foregone 'stellar' college careers to play in the NBL.

At the end of the day, unless you make the NBA, going to college means playing at a lower standard for less remuneration. Yes there are benefits like playing more minutes and getting a degree, but the NBL is an excellent pathway to a good pro career either here or in Europe.

I was thinking the same thing Isaac. Although the chances would have to be very slim that Dellavedova would give up his college career to come to the Sixers, it is a good sign that Clarke/ SOS aren't shy about chasing the best players. From what has been said on here, it looks like they inquired about Goulding, Lisch and Schenscher. Maybe Gibson as well?

Nice comparison Player23. Johnson seems to hit the offensive boards hard, but looks like he needs to work harder to box out defensively. Not surprising for a young player really. What I really like is the shooting percentages. The kid can clearly score and not just around the basket. I'd always prefer to take a young guy who can shoot and teach him to rebound and play defence, than the opposite.

Just a thought, but with Johnson and Ballinger both able to drag their man out of the paint, that could open up the middle nicely for whoever our imports are and also Hill.

Paul, if we're talking about Dellavedova specifically, I'm guessing that his goal would still be the NBA. Hence why its unlikely he would leave St Mary's after a very successful season there. If he were to taper off by his junior year, I could see him coming back to the NBL.

I think it might be a bit to do with current trends as well. Bogut's success has got to encourage kids to follow his path and the struggles of the NBL in recent years can't have helped make the case for staying in Oz.

#274980 - I'm going by the actual, official NBL stats.

I saw every Crocs box score last season on the NBL live stats thing and from memory he would've attempted at least 20 3's last season.

With Ballinger , 2 imports , Bruce and other complimentary players such as Holmes , Ng , Johnson , Hill and Herbert there is no way you can write that team off . It will come down to chemistry , team balance and coaching .

One thing you won't see under Clarke is a team playing without passion or lacking energy .

I don't think we were that far off being a force last year , we matched most teams at some stage it was more what was happening within the team .

Small gains within all areas of the 36ers organisation as a whole and team structure and a fresh attitude can have massive impact .

Agree with you Rotatoman. Although last season was horrible to watch, there were half a dozen games we easily could have won. There was just something wrong with the team behind the scenes. Don't know what it was, but the team was clearly dysfunctional and lacking in confidence on court.

The #1 thing we needed was a new coach to get everyone on the same page and working as a team. Hopefully in Clarke we have done that. If we get more of the same, then it will be clear that we need to clean house. I don't think that will happen though.