2007 Brisbane Bullets
2008 Sydney Kings (Choked to Sean Lampley in the Final)

The points system has to go. Good idea at the time but needs to go now. Good Australian players who want to come home can't without team giving up another player/players.

I think we should look at the Chinese CBA system and allow NBA players to come to the league and not count under the cap. That should make the league stronger and promote interest.

Only problem is money.

Name one player who cannot come back and play because of the points system?

David Barlow

http://www.backpagelead.com.au/basketball/7958-barlows-nbl-return-blocked-by-ppc

If there was no points cap a player would still lose their job to make way for Barlow
That article just highlights a player who doesn't understand the points cap and how it works. Players going to Europe have actually helped others to get game time in Australia.

If you name Barlow as an example, you lose and I wonder if you actually thought about it, sorry. That article and his comments were a load of crap.

Try again.

Why allow more imports at the expense of Australian players? Let me list some crowd-pulling current examples for you that clubs can afford:

Massingale
Hudson
Edwards
Lazare
Abney

Three clubs last round only used one of their two import spots. A number of clubs don't spend the whole cap.

Clubs need bigger, more consistent crowds and more revenue from a TV deal.

if there was no restrictions on imports/ salary and the points cap was still in place you could perceivably have a team of

Lebron
Kobe
Howard
Nowitzki
Griffin
Paul
+ 4 rookies and be under the points cap with 6 points spare

Only reason the marquee player isnt explored is that most clubs dont make money now let alone punting a few mill on an PR experiment.

For every Barlow that goes overseas a Loughton comes back. Anstey came back as did Heal, Catalini , Rogers etc etc eventually the euro guys will come back and play in the NBL.

I had a feeling someone would bring up Barlow lmao.

points cap

I'll put together a hypothetical team staying within the points cap...

C: Jawai
F: Anderson
F: Ingles
G: Newley
G: Mills

6: Petrie
7: Steindl
8: Rhys Martin
9: Trueman
10: Shaun Bruce

Total points: 70
You have an All-Star starting line up. Hell, 3 of them have played in the NBA! One other has been drafted and the other is in NBA talks.

Bench features one of the better point guards in Rhys Martin. One of the best (and underrated) forwards, Anthony Petrie. Great rookie with big upside, Clint Steindl. Throw in Trueman for a big body/3rd string big man and Shaun Bruce, who will be a solid NBL player soon enough.

You might say "But no team can afford that line up".. Yep that's my point. It's not the point system that's restricting these players from coming back to Australia. It's how much (or little) money there is in Australia compared to Euro/States.

So please.. Don't talk about how restrictive the point system is, if a player is good enough he'll get a job. If he isn't he signs with a 2nd or 3rd tier Euro club.

Correct. The biggest thing restricting players is the small number of clubs. With only eight it doesnt matter what system you have some players are going to miss out.

Anon '182, that's his exact point. Read his post again. He's saying that the points cap is not stopping clubs putting together amazing teams. It's not stopping David Barlow getting an NBL job.

Teams can't afford to match those Euro salaries or necessarily bring in marquee players. Points cap is largely irrelevant and for many clubs, the salary cap is too.

And even with a marquee player rule, check out Jonny Flynn's stats. #6 draft pick averaging about 15-16 PPG with 5-6 APG. Not too different from the imports we already get - Lisch, Ervin, Wilson, etc.

The points cap has to go because it's just stupid. It achieves nothing, and is not designed to spread talent but as a shortcut to actively monitoring the salary cap.

It's like something a local junior league would have..

"oh no you can't have him because he plays rep ball and you've already got three rep players boohoo!"

Rating players' ability based on some arbitrary criteria seems rather Draconian.

To clarify: I'm steadfast against it because it's stupid -- not because it is stopping anything from happening.

It just seems like it is pointless, more bureaucratic red tape that is unneccessary. and it's one more thing that fans don't understand. Especially given it doesn't exist outside of the NBL in any professional sporting league that I know of.

It's like implementing a height restriction or something.

Like I said, stupid.

You are making the same point just in a different way

The NBLPA is attacking the point system at present ( claiming restraint of trade) and some players ( Barlow) think the point system is stopping them from playing in the NBL

Nats post highlights that it is not the points cap that is stopping anyone from playing in the NBL but money.

As Isaac has said the priority for the NBL and NBLPA should be clubs generating larger income through sponsorship and broadcast rights to ensure all clubs are financially self sufficient and not reliant on philanthropy to survive. The A League generates 40mill per annum now from Foxtel versus the NBL's 1mill from Ten. This is despite having comparable ratings.

If the NBL can negotiate 10 mill per annum say, that would pay each clubs pay roll and allow 2 mill per annum for PR, publicity &c &c . That then makes all clubs viable and the league financial.

A great idea was that the NBL would/ could nominate 10 players that it considers Boomers / future Boomers. Each of these players would be contracted just like Cricket Australia do each season. The money that the player would receive would be on top of their NBL salary and so the lure to bring some people back to the NBL is greater.

Until that is done, or something close to it, enticing players from going OS and luring marquee players is a mute point.

I agree with Anon, it's easy to hide payments from Harvey Norman and Pak N Save compared to the teams players points add up to 70.

I know you are all not going to like this but you have all just showed the biggest issue with the NBL is the point system.

It has not created parity at all. The top teams from last year are still the top teams this year and the bottom teams are still no better off. Where is the parity?

Also how does Adelaide fit under a fair points system this year? Further what happens next year in Perth? Who do they cut to stay in the points system? What if another team leaves the league? Less "Points" and a more watered down league.

Money is the best measure. Players are not always going to take less to play on a better team. Most follow the money.

Finally just because a team spends the most doesn't mean they win the championship. New York had the highest salary of any NBA team most of the 2000's and did they win every championship.