dont like it at all, imports bring a different kind of excitment to the league that our local talent does not bring. The problem I feel is the quality of imports, with the seasons starting time most quality imports are not available. Id like to see the season moved to start in early December so the league can bring in quality imports.

I wouldn't mind us going with only the 1 import next season. But only if we bring in a couple of high end NBL players. (Schenscher and Rush types)
If we're abandoning an import in place of a couple of speculative players, then we will continue to be competitive but making up the numbers.
We don't have the team to afford the luxury of 1 import. Too many mediocre middle of the road players.
If Clarke is to deliver on his 3 year plan and give us a championship calibre team, we need to find some real stars. I'm not sold that any player on our list will be a star except for Ballinger.
Creek is no Power Forward by the way. If we lose Holmes, we will get another centre. No buts about it. We get beaten every week on the boards as is. If we lose on of the best rebounders in the league on top of that, we will no longer be competitive unless we shoot the lights out.

Drmic is playing at Boise State next year and Greenwood is playing at New Mexico. I don't know how many times that has to be mentioned on this forum...

Guess tactics by Marty he cant get the right imports so try to stop opposition from getting decent one.
Marty please shut up and just do your job and learn about coaching in NBL befor becoming a expert

Geez some people on this forum are down on Marty Clarke! He inherited a team from the bomb shelter last season and did say that it would take time to get back up to scratch. You can't expect to go from rags to riches in one season, it will be a progression. Yes, the 36ers are totally frustrating to watch at the moment. You have to wonder if you'll see the fantastic play that we saw vs Wollongong and in parts vs New Zealand or the train wreck we saw vs Melbourne and in parts vs New Zealand.

Add to this that the rotating door of imports this season as well as a few injuries (particularly Herbert's untimely one). I'm not saying that Clarke doesn't deserve some of the responsibility for the way the 6ers are playing because of course he does, he's the guy in charge. However you also have to take into account that he's brought in more promising young players (Creek, Johnson, Bruce) than Adelaide's seen in a long time and developed Ng and Hill to arguably the highest points in their careers thus far. So maybe give the guy a break for a while, let him do his job, give him your support as the coach of the team that we all love and give him a chance to turn the team around! After all, you can all bag him out in a season or two when he's actually had time to implement changes and we should supposedly see results!

Isn't this the old comments from a few games ago just rehashed? Already a thread about this with a lot more discussion.

I can't believe people are thanking Clarke for Ng and Hill's imaginary break out year. Their stats are pretty much the same in both years

Hill 2011: 8.9ppg (43% fg, 28% 3pt, 69%ft) 3rpg, 1apg, 1.2spg, 0.9tpg
Hill 2010: 7.3ppg (42% fg, 33% 3pg, 70%ft) 3rpg, 2apg, 0.5spg, 1.4tpg

Ng 2011: 8.6ppg (48%, 42%, 93%) 2rpg, 1apg, 0.4spg, 0.5tpg
Ng 2010: 8.6ppg (46%, 46%, 80%) 2rpg, 2apg, 0.6spg, 0.8tpg

Can someone please show me these great improvements in these stats to show me they are at their "highest point in their careers"?

They have not improved dramatically as others seem to indicate with the guidance of Clarke. If anything they are just maturing as basketballers with another season under their belt.

In fact Ng's 2007 as well as 2008 season were statistically better then this years.

perhaps King James you should email Marty like you did last years coaches with all your suggestions.

I think you are all missing the point of Marty's comments... extend the squad to 15, and then pick your best 10 for the game at hand, much like how the AFL pick a team for the game. To do this, look at reducing the imports to one to free up cap space.

This is very different to the suggestions of "you can just run with one import now if you want" - he's actually suggesting a fairly large change to the way the squads and teams are structured.

@Gazza i think this is exactly what Marty is saying
i import is about the same as 4 or 5 development players wage.

No reason to limit teams to one import, but I wouldn't be too upset going with only one. Most of the best players in the league are Australian anyway.

However, if we do, as Hendo said, we have to get our hands on some of those aforementioned best players.

We need an elite centre that will allow Balls to play PF. I think the #1 guy to go for would be Khazzouh, but I doubt we can steal him from Sydney. Otherwise Schenscher or Majok.

We also need an elite shooting guard. So that means we have to go out and get Goulding, Weigh or maybe Webster.

Get two of the above players at C and SG and build a team around them, Balls, Shannon/ Carter and Creek and you'll have a contender next season.

KingJames, Hill has been better this year. Biggest change has been the turnovers, IMO.

I don't think this has been Ninja's best year by a long shot. Has had solid years previously (including the year Maher got injured, from memory).

The squad of 15 argument probably has to be taken away from the context of this season and this team and considered as a broader change in the NBL to all teams - would that be better or worse for Australian basketball?

ild like to see some change in the way we develop young talent. we make players work for a long time before they really get to play major minutes. i dont understand how we dont have more players really stamping themselves on the game at the age of 22-23? of the 90 odd kids drafted into the afl this year you can bet more than a dozen will play a good amount of footy at a high level, and many more long before they reach 23.

obviously we dont have the same numbers as footy but why cant we expect a similar improvement from players?

i guess we lose alot of our best 18 yr olds to the college system in the U.S., we really need B.A. to target talented athletes who arnt willing to leave the country or dont have that option and develop a clear pathway for these kids from juniors to senior level nbl. heres hopeing we can see more guns like cadee tearing up the nbl in the future

^ i meant more than a dozen would play at a high level in their first year.

I think the odds of Clarke starting Johnson at Centre are the same as Neil Craig starting Kurt Tippett at Full Forward in his first year. Everyone could see it but the coach.

Works well with Bruce Harris Greenwood amongst others training here and the others that will come for Clarke
While Howard doesn't seem to fit.

Don't see other teams training, some may have 2 good imports with them, not sure.

Agree DJ needs to be given a chance to develop by Clarke, isnt that his strength as a coach?

DJ looked fairly unhappy aginst the Breakers.
Firstly when he was subbed out after only a short while he stormed past the coaches and Radford had to grab his arm and had words to him.
Also during a last qtr timeout DJ realised he wasn't going back on so he asked for his warm up top and stood at the back not paying any attention to what Clarke had to say.

Not trying to stir stuff up but just a couple of observations from the game.

I know Isaac said to take it away from the context of this season and this team, but I didn't,and
Greenwood signed to college, but
just using what's happening here as an example.

Marty may be optimistic about his 3 year plan coming to fruition but who is to say it will happen. Who is to say we don't continue for 3 years not improving much at all. A good coach would hunger for the opportunity to seize a championship now and not sit back and say it will happen in 3 years. He had the opportunity to put together a competitive team from day 1. His choice of imports have been unsuccessful. It does seem to me he would like to do away with one import but wants the whole league to only have 1 import to even it up. The quality of imports over the last few years have deteriorated but rather than say do away with one, they should be putting more effort into finding the right ones. 2 quality imports in a team lifts the standard of the league. With the standard of the league better, the Australian National team will also be more competitive on the world stage.

EC- wow I really agree with what you said above. I think it's right on the money. like I mentioned elsewhere, I like to win now. not saying future is not important but win now is much more important to me. just look at the Portland Blazers, disaster can happen when looking too far ahead into the future.