Chances are he only had 1 game left in the role anyway.

Announced it in presser.

Hardly surprising given they will miss the playoffs now. Sanders coming back in didnt have the desired effect and they weren't really able to click the whole season. Heal has to take the heat for that

Every coaching job in the NBL seems sorted so I guess he knew he was done, locked in the NZNBL gig (next best option down the chain) and then stood down a game before they were going to do it for him.

Anon... Furious at him (Crosswhite or Heal??)

So whos in the mix to replace him.Al Westover must be a big chance if he wants it.

You would expect Bevo to be top of their list but I'm not so sure he'd want the job.

Yeah, that's the pickle, isn't it... You can have anyone at the top of your list but they have to be willing...

Can't have owners interfering and making decisions about players, can't have drunk owners heckling and swearing at you from their corporate boxes...

Jumping before being pushed... trying to make it look like he had the final say or knowing the writing was one the wall.
If Sydney can get a legitimate coach and 2 good imports next year then anything is possible.
Young had flash stats but usually put himself before the team imo.

Announced to press but didn't tell hi players.

They will no doubt be chasing Gorj straight off the bat. Ogilvy is a must in the signings, and also with a new offensive structure that is better suited to the team needs. more touches down low for the big guy, and less isolation off wings. Young can go iso, but Madgen is a slasher/shooter.

Cody Ellis didn't really show me why he should be a 20-25 min player, especially given input Brad Hill was getting as a Slashing 4 man early.

Kevin White is not an NBL player.

Sanders needs to be replaced by a more dynamic type PG import with a jumpshot.

Bye Bye Ben Allen.

New Coach, better system designed for something more than iso's, 3's or jumpshots with a similar roster should do the trick.

Well said Achtung Baby

Bevo for Sydney according to Radio ^PR in perth.
No further followup anywhere which is strange coming out of Perth.
However, smart move.
AJ def to Europe!!!

Before Young, they certainly didn't have a playoff roster IMO.

Kings were 1-4 in the first five games after each import change and 10-7 in the rest of their games. If it's true decisions were being made at higher levels that makes it tough for the coach.

Heal didn't do a perfect job by any means, but he definitely did a pretty solid job in the circumstances IMO.

I think we know the answer to that.
Heal going and management staying.
Altho I agree it was tuff for Heal re the imports, he still had total control over the rest and managed to be a dictator with that lot. Took his own frustrations out on the remaining players instead of grouping together. "Us against them"
You can't say for one minute they were united last few weeks, except Heal and Madgen.

Agree with that. It's a worry when the coach is trying to coax effort constantly in time-outs. Almost everyone involved worrying more about what they are doing next season with contracts up in the air.

with the Wellington Saints wanting to enter the NBL maybe Heal see's coaching them in the NZNBL as a stepping stone to that job?

Someone mentioned Cody Ellis. I have been pretty underwhelmed thus far with him. Wasn't the guy meant to be a potential boomer? Looking a bit more like a potential ben allen to me right now.

Mystro,
absolutely agree.
Think the Wellington NBL and Heal story is starting to gain some momentum.

Reading Heal's statement/interview on NBL site...
it's one of the most to the point but reserved statements I've seen. Just a basic set of facts, little emotion.

With future expansion we haven't seen the last of Heal.
Bevo would have to be in their sights.
I might be one of the few that still thinks Brad Hill should be in the NBL next year.

Hill screwed over more than anyone.
Cannot understand that one.

I don't know what went on with Hill behind the scenes, he may have trained terribly or had a poor attitude towards peroxide.

Bevo would be at the top of their list and will probably come down to whether he wants to take it or not.

Is Mark Price still an option in the NBL? Sign that dude up straight away!

While Bevo and Goorjian would be prime candidates are there any top assistants to consider such as Kevin Brooks for example?

Heal has always been divisive in his approach and the results on that on the Kings team were glaringly obvious in recent weeks with several players looking like they wanted to be anywhere else.

Goorjian's guaranteed success comes with the reality of not having a club to support in two years. Hire him at your own peril.

Heal recruited Ellis over Hill and tried to justify decision. Ellis very average after making some shots early. One of his many mistakes with roster. Hill rated third most versatile player in NBL by peers. Team consistently giving up 100 ppg over last part of season. Team not playing for coach or just horrible strategy? Or both?

Jumped before pushed would seem the case here. In this day in age the new coach would already be in place. Kings biggest underachieving team this year?...... apart from NZ? I be thinking so...

Jumped before pushed would seem the case here. In this day in age the new coach would already be in place. Kings biggest underachieving team this year?...... apart from NZ? I be thinking so...

Why are people making Cody Ellis conclusions after half a season and playing catch up every game. He is a talent and a grear future. His minutes were inconsistent. He is by no means a Ben Allen duplicate as alluded too above.
The problem, was the chopping and changing of import and the Aussie content not fitting together.
Madgen and Garlepp already signed
Ellis has another year

Hill, Gleeson, White all need to go.

Ogilvy should go to Europe to play for better teams and not get subbed irregularly or inconsistent plays for him down low.

Sydney will bounce back with a Bevo or similar credentialed coach

Cody Ellis may be better under another coach but his performance this season with pretty consistent minutes was average. Shooting 37% very underwhelming and similar to college stats.
Statistically one of the worst performing players in league per. Pick and pop guy only.

After his seabl season last year, I agree that Hill has been grossly under used. should have gotten much more time, Couple of games he got in for a qtr and scored 10 ish, and had the skills to really help the team. Think he should have gotten Ellis's minutes although hindsight is easy. Ellis really needs a good coach to improve his game.

Also interesting that Goorjian was made a Legend at the game today, which says the management group have been in touch...Wonder if he is getting tired of China and would consider a return to OZ.

Would like to keep Ogilvie but probably doubtful...think keeping White is a mistake. You can teach defence but White just can't put points on the board. Should be keeping Hill instead. Harvey and allen, time to retire.

Like Sanders hustle and last few games he has quitely puts both Assists and points on the board.

Heal's treatment of his players, in general besides Madgen who became a "yes, sir" captain, was a major crush to them. Obviously a very solid, off court promo speaker but put him into training sessions with injured players, owner favourites, rookie talent, veterans etc etc and it's no longer easy. Heal could be a mentor but not whilst a coach. Nothing worse than a coach who forgets how it was to be a player and won't look for the answers to team problems because he can't be wrong. "A deer in the headlights" applies to a lot of new coaches. Some survive, an awful lot don't. Would Heal ever have been a coach if his finances hadn't collapsed? I think not. That answers a lot.

Yep, I remember the Dragon thing. Was signed up to play and then one thing led to another, led to a coaching role then led to a sacking. But regarding the last few years, I'm sure he was not planning to return to an NBL coaching spot. His business interests were extensive and successful. Busy busy.
The year at the Blaze was a favour to mate Joyce.

Took out his enormous frustrations re Young on his team? Didn't think about that, maybe that was the problem?

And happy to be done, all the business commitments etc. Sure looked like a favour to BJ from my end.

Seeya shane don't let the door hit your ass on the way out.

I don't understand the hate, I know in NBL we are all a tight nit community that wants to see every stadium packed, every team commercially viable and have the best coaches and players that we can get, so we are given the chance to see them live when they come to town.

Now we have Hammer who gets a reaction from fans as much as anyone in NBL history and everyone just wants to rip into him after he leaves ?

I hope he gets a job again in the NBL and heard on NBL.tv about him signing with Tasmania and I think that would be a potentially good acquisition in terms of getting sponsorship.

I haven't paid great enough attention to him bankrupting teams and I think that's all speculation. You don't sell your arse just because a coach think its a good idea, it defies all the business sense that was required for 'money bags' to be in the position to own a basketball club to begin with.

Lastly you have to wonder what Aaron Bruce thinks about this and would he be on Hammers side or the owners?

Kirk Penney - captain/coach

Now we have Hammer who gets a reaction from fans as much as anyone in NBL history and everyone just wants to rip into him after he leaves ?

Of course they do but not sure how much the owners get involved and make the coach tolerate a whole lot of problems caused by the import.
Heal should have banded with the rest of his roster, instead he left them out in the cold but still expected them to perform above and beyond.
They were out of position, out of favour and just plain out....

I can't think of an NBA team that's ever traded three starters and a significant bench player mid-season with no performance issues while trying to build a contender. Trades involving a lot of players tend to happen as salary dumps, not attempts to contend, and they generally don't happen so close to the end of the season. And that's ignoring the fact that it was three separate events spread out over the season, not one event involving three players.

The Kings slumped every single time they made an import change. That's not a coincidence.

Unfortunately, we all agreeing that the owners were to blame for a big lot of the demise, doesn't help the players get over a hugely, failed season.
Anyone giving them a "sorry" bonus ?