The games are different. I cannot envisage, other than injuries, where for form or other reasons a situation would occur where a player would be elevated off a reserves list onto a playing list.

There are a bunch of reasons this happens in the AFL. Your #1 ruckman is suspended, or injured, and you go to your seconds to get a replacement. Those suspensions or injuries happen far more frequently than they do at NBL and are often short term.

Basketball coaches and teams can go their full season never having to change their 12. if their starting PG gets injured, they are more likely to try and recruit another PG, rather than backfill from a reserves list.

Agree with you Isaac.

AFL is the primary sport in Australia and therefore there is alot more dollar flow into the sport. The popularity of it with the kids mixed with the potential of higher learnings is what draws the talent to the AFL.

I'm sure this is nothing more than Clarke blowing off some steam verbally and probably frustrated that we have had 4 imports this year and only 1 has really performed at any decent sort of a level?

**higher earnings**

does this man think before he speaks how do you compare afl to basketball one is only played in australia the other world wide .even if we had one import the way this guy picked imports we would finish with a dud .again stick to this club dont worry about things that dont concern the 6ers worry about how to fix this teams problems and we know we have heaps

In a manner of speaking, while we can certainly blame game performance for some of the comments, Clarke has certainly been firing off some comments which in all honesty needed to be said by someone of importance.

Unfortunately while as fans, we can all comment when our team loses, but the comments echo from everyone. Unfortunately not everyone has deep enough pockets to pay out fines for commenting.

Honestly I'm suprised the Marty hasn't received a fine yet. Must be quite good with his wordplay when making comments.

Certainly think when everyone heard him call the NBL a bush league on National TV, it was a good thing.

If the imports get more than 20 minutes, maybe they will be able to put up some big numbers huh.

I'd go slighty further and say each team can have one Marquee player. That player can be from anywhere and is excluded from the salary cap.

It might mean then that some team have no imports, but instead have lured a Brad Newley or Nathan Jawai back to play.

I like this idea Skip, didnt the A-League have this or perhaps still do.

I just dont get the attitude he seems to have of wanting to spread the minutes out so much across all 10 players. Surely at the Elite level you have a rtotation of 8 players with the rest used only sparingly. Now he wants 15?

Statman, it's what modern teams are doing. Perth used 10 players (even when down Knight and Wagstaff) on the Gold Coast. New Zealand used all 10 when beating the Hawks in Wollongong. The Crocs used 10 in holding off the Breakers at home. The Breakers again used 10 players in that same game.

Who'd pay for it?

this guy seems like a joke infront of media. first of all, he certainly can just sign 1 import like Perth. secondly he can play the young ones more if he wish and think its better for the team?!

don't try bring some garbage ideas, this isn't a development league. like mentioned if you want to watch or coach development league, go to ABA.

test

I'm with several other posters. Just do it, ala Perth.

Ideally, it would be great if the NBL could run a system similar to the NRL Toyota Cup.
The Younger Team (i.e. Under 24s or so) could travel with the senior team and play games before the actual NBL game.
I think the NRL Toyota Cup is a great example..Players still get the chance to develop and get to play extremly high quality games week in week out.
Obviously, Money is the big issue. With alot more money, something like this could work.

His logic isnt clear at all, he doesnt play some of his young guys a lot, and Creek has got more minutes in games with two imports than when they had one import!

Development is essential, but having one import wont help young players development. Teams have to have at least 3 players on their full roster under 24, some (NZ, Wollongong, Adelaide, Townsville, Gold Coast) have more. If they are good enough they will play, if not they wont, regardless of how many imports there are.

Here is my take on it:

http://www.nbl.com.au/news/article/2011/january/a-beautiful-distraction/

ABA between April and September, $6 to watch. NBL between October and April, $25 to watch. They are 2 separate competitions, 2 different levels and 2 separate ticket prices. Let's keep it that way.

Good ideas, and worth investigating but they arent that different to what we have now. Each team must sign 12 players and most DPs get around $30K (that should definitely be an enforced minimum if it isnt), and at least 3 of those guys must be U24. Adding extra guys adds a pathway but wont increase playing opportunities.

As it is teams can sign one or no imports, have 11 or 12 men on the roster if they fit under the caps and have more than 2 DPs, so those options are already there.

If Clarke were serious about what he is saying Daly would have got some more minutes this year, especially when they had one import and underperforming imports.

At the end of the day, how many genuinely good players have we actually lost to the sport. Guys like Bathie, Jenkins and Brogan werent good enough to be NBL players. Losing them after they have given it a try is no loss, and getting a $40K contract as essentially a training player in the 15 wont sway undecided players from the lure of the AFL draft.

As far as I am aware though, not one player who would have or did make an Australian junior national team has been poached by another sport.

Our biggest focus should be finding ways for clubs to get the best AIS kids rather than them going to college, but Clarke's idea wont achieve that.

AIS team in NBL with Uni scholarship attached.

Paul, Pendlebury and Jack Watts were both expected to make Australian National Under Age teams.

"the NBL isn't a development league"

Its exactly this attitude that saw the Sixers running out teams of geriatrics in the mid-2000s. Not only did they not win, but they were boring to watch. Seeing Copeland, Davidson, Maher, Thomas, etc running around well past their prime was depressing.

Other teams had old geriatrics playing well after they should have too, because virtually no-one was developing any new talent in the mid-2000s. In a healthy league those old guys should be forced out by younger talent over time.

You have to give young guys a chance to get into the league and learn alongside vets. They have to learn how to focus and remain confident when playing in front of a big crowd. They have to learn how the refs call the game. They have to get used to the speed and savvy at the top level.

If you don't do this, you end up where the Sixers are now. Several years of losing and having to try to change a losing culture without enough vets who can still lead by example with their play on court.

Bean, you forgot Timmons. That was the one that killed me.

I knew there was at least one guy I forgot... I think my list should have been more than enough though!

Beantown- I understand what you're saying and yes I too feel like the old buggers got to go, but the question is can the young guys out perform the old ones?

maybe there's more pressure to be placed on the young ones to overtake the vets then just hand it over to them, if you know what I mean. if they need to develop, go to ABA for game experience and train and work their ass off and it'll pay off.

regardless this is a professional league and people want to WIN watch the highest quality of basketball, not watch young players develop while getting frustrated with losing. in saying that, like I mentioned before it doesn't mean youth development is not important, there just need to be a balance between the 2 always with winning in mind.

many developed talents can leave clubs too so win now seems to be the most logical path for clubs if i'm a general manager.

oh and probably good for some example,

Lakers developed Kobe earlier this century while having a team full of vets and now Andrew Bynum around a team of vets with a few other nice young legs eg. Shannon Brown.

The Spurs had a team of vets with young guns like Tony Parker and Ginobli while they had Robinson and Johnson around. and now with George Hill

So that's my point, always build the team to win or at least be a contender NOW while having a few young guns to develop for later. I don't think there's not that many young promising teams in history who really came through to dominate an era.

even the earlier Melbourne Tigers team who dominated an era with a few championships were put together and not developed. had them been able to keep Barlow then they'll probably be in a better situation now.

LA Boy, agreed, there must be a balance. I'm just saying that the league (and especially the Sixers) have not developed young players enough in the past few years. Thats why the SIxers must rebuild the hard way - from scratch - without that balance

for me I would've tried sign these players:

1. a big eg. Schenscher or Nevill (maybe have to look at the cap???)
2a. Wortho- only if he can provide at the 3 spots
2b. a PG maybe Homicide???

if 36ers have 1 and 2 of above or all 3 of the above, with Ng and the other young fellas, then you guys can at least compete now while set up for future you know...

a potential line up like:

Nevill, Ballinger, Wortho, Hill, PG... that'll be pretty nice for you guys I think. but obviously easier said than done.

NBL is a young man's league at the moment. Almost 3/4 of the league is 27 or younger, and there are 34 guys 25 or younger. Add the development spots and there are plenty of opportunities for young players. All for increasing them, but it isnt an urgent issue at the moment like it was a few years ago.

I agree wholeheartedly that you need a balance between professionalism and development, and the fact that Creek and Cadee, straight out of the AIS, are averaging 15 and 17 minutes respectively tells me we have it pretty right.

HO, I forgot about Pendlebury, but I didnt think Watts was a genuine chance. If he was though he made a bad decision, because he isnt much of a footballer.

Agreed Paul, things are now quite good on the youth front. And the Sixers may not be as good as I'd like them to be right now, but I at least can hope for a brighter future with some younger guys who have a chance to be really good. It was depressing watching Copeland, Maher, Thomas, Timmons, etc getting beat all the time and knowing that next year they'll be even slower!

LA Boy, I feel like the Sixers are not far away at all right now. I think the main thing is that extra big like a Schenscher or Neville to allow Balls to play PF against the bigger opponents and Johnson to be an impact player off the bench while he develops.

We don't even need a Wortho or a Homicide I don't think. With Creek coming onboard, the Sixers finally have a SF prospect that can be an elite player - something we haven't had since Cattalini left the club. Until Creek develops, Hill will be okay I think, as he is finally starting to get it.

Shannon is pretty good and I think can do the job for this year and next. If we hang onto Bruce and Carter, perhaps we will have PG covered without the need for an import in two years.

Beantown, interesting thought, and probably deserves another thread but it has been fun to watch the progression of the league over the last few years as some clubs have added genuine centres and the game has adapted to that. I don't like Schenscher, as I just find him soft, but he and Neville are genuine 7 footers and specialist centres - and JK might be in that category as well despite not being as tall. In the past it seemed the whole league played with a four man at the five spot. I hope it continues, because our localised players need to learn a game style that plays with a genuine centre - it will help us internationally.

I'm not gonna argue if you need Wortho or Homicide, but you can never have too much talent is all I have to offer. whether to play Homicide or Creek more would be a nice problem to have, what's wrong with that?

The goal is to contend now and prepare for later at the same time, and that's why I proposed something like that.

I agree 100% HO, and I think Crosswhite's improvement this year puts him in that category too. It's good to see teams like Cairns and Townsville with big front lines doing well - unlike Melbourne they surrounded them with shooters and have a plan B if the big line up isnt working.

I also think the refs are slowly getting used to reffing with more big guys. Still a way to go, but I have noticed as the year wears on more fouls called on the post defender for grabbing while trying to deny the ball etc. That is important for keeping big guys in our league.

Could run something similar to Korea which only allow 1 import on the court for the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Allows the coach his full team at the end of the game. whilst leaving room for local players during the game.

HO, I think you're right, Big Red is a little soft at times, but I have also seen him get mauled repeatedly without any calls. Hopefully the refs really are starting to get it - the attitude seems to be "you're big enough to look after yourself".

I am liking the way the league is at the moment too, with contrasting styles and younger, more athletic players. You've got your Perths and GCs and Adelaides going for fast, small lineups and then Melbourne, Townsville and even Cairns have gone quite big.

I too am pleased to see the emergence of genuine centres in the NBL and hope it continues. Insofar as the referees swallowing their whistles on holding fouls in the low post however, from what I saw at the WCs, that is exactly how it was called in the international game. Aleks Maric was a case in point. I thnk teams sussed out pretty quickly, perhaps after his excellent performance in the first game against Jordan, that if you stop Maric from getting the ball in the low block, that you dramatically decrease his effectiveness. Seriously, teams were using his arms as monkey bars and he got little love from the referees. Even that shit commentator from the UK, who clearly knew very little about basketball, picked up on it. Being too soft on the Nevills and the Schenschers in the NBL, would probably not be the best preparation for what they may expect to encounter if they pull on a Boomers uniform in a major tournament.

if we could swap Sam Harris in and out for some games
Kevin Johnson for Ron Howard in and out for some games
That's the flexibility he'd like to see.
Seems pretty good to me.

At the WCs they let the big guys bang but they were very quick to whistle little guys who were trying to hold a bigger guy in the post.

The Sixers can swap Harris in and out of the roster, they have enough points to do it. He is a 2 and they have 4 points to spare. I wonder if they are aware of that? The rules regarding points etc are a bit complex.

We're not aware of that. That's what started the talk.
'cause we wanted to play Harris on Sun nite, but didn't think we could.

Only way Harris can come in is on a full contact which I doubt they want to do as they are paying for Herbert Carter and most likely took a hit to exit the two imports.

Yep, they have to officially sign him, but that shouldnt be a problem if they genuinely want to play and develop him. I believe you can have as many as 12 players (plus DPs) as long as they fit under the caps. Each game night you can only play 10 of those rostered players and one of the 10 has to be U24.

Unfortunately, Aaron Bruce doesnt quite fit under the points cap so they had to sign him as an injury replacement and not as an 11th man.

If they had signed Mike Rose instead of Ron Howard they could have fit Bruce in.

That's interesting.. I liked Ron Howard's first game here. The pressure's gonna be on him , then , in a coupla weeks , with Carter fit n Bruce here and Kevin Johnson (looks a bit lika Creek) here.

That depends on the other rule Clarke was talking about. The rule is when Carter returns he must replace Bruce (same as Wagstaff for Majok), what is unclear is if Bruce can then replace someone else, it seems a bit unclear around the league.

No it quite clear if Carter comes back Bruce is out. Same deal as Harris can not come back in as he has already played under injury waivers. sam though could come in on a full contract but then there are cap issues to consider.

Paul don't you write for the Nbl? I would have thought that you would know some of these rules. You have said above that every team must sign 3 u/24 players. That is not correct. Currently need to play one under 24. If the team wants developement players then they also need to be under 24. Sixers last year had no development players. How much experience do you have with the Nbl or are you just learning the ropes?

KB3 I think you will find Mollitor was our development player last year.

Molitor was our under 24. U/24 and development players are different.

I dont work for the NBL. But as I understand it there is a requirement to have development players. If you can show me that is wrong I am happy to be corrected, but that is my understanding.

In terms of the injury waivers, you misunderstood what I wrote. If Carter comes back he must replace Bruce. What there is confusion about is whether Bruce can then replace someone else who gets injured later in the season.

I don't agree that there should be 15 contracted players. Teams simply won't use all those players and why should the 8th man be getting paid the same as the 15th man, when all the 15th man is doing is training.
e.g. It would be like Mitch Creek getting paid the same as Jan Warbout.

Having 12 contracted players is fine. But 15 is too much. Your paying 3 guys money for training..They are getting paid to train..I can think of heaps of quality young basketball players in Oz that could do that.

@paul get hold of the rule book , that will help you.

If the clubs are confused about it I dont feel bad about not fully understanding it!!

I like 15. Aaron Bruce Rhys Carter Sam Harris Kevin Johnson here training really aching to play.

Who is this Kevin Johnson guy I have been hearing about lately? Young South Aussie? Big? Small? Ex Phoenix Suns? ;-)

I mentioned (on sixers open training sessions this week). I attended training on Thursday and they were very sharp.
I was looking at two Johnsons numbers 21 and didn't know who one was.
Anyways - I asked the boss man there.. seeing we're a bit short up forward, have you dragged one in .
He's a friend of Eddie Shannon, with ability and asked if he could train.
That's all I know about him.
From memory, he's about Mitch Creeks build.
Might be ex Phoenix , not sure....?

Camel, Phoenix is a joke re this Kevin Johnson:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Johnson

Aw, the one training here is not famous..
He conveyed the feeling he knew what he was doing, that he had everyting under control, at his first NBL training session.

@Camel was it this guy?
http://www.eurobasket.com/player.asp?Cntry=CYP&PlayerID=103821&AmNotSure=1

KB3 - Sorry, just gotta computer issue and this one will take half an hour to turn a page...
Although.. He DID play High Stakes Hoops here.. I'd forgotten. .. Sixers boss man did tell me. So that may help to know him?

last time i checked the old school kevin johnson is now the mayor of Sacromento...

Yes, I think so.
The one training here with the Adelaide 36ers
was telling Corey Williams to ' pass it '
at the High Stakes Hoops , here.

Pretty good numbers there for the Pythons, seeing Homicide didn't pass it at all.

KB3 - It's funny how eurobasket player id=103821
does look a bit like him and same name
but I don't think that's him.