Not sure why everyone is pinpointing Brad Newley as the marquee player, I know how ridiculously potent he was when he was first in the NBL.. averaging 30 points or near enough.. yet is he still that player now or has europe completely re-moulded him into a role player now? Can he be THE MAN again?

Have to agree however.. I think Gary has had his time in Adelaide. With the Marquee rule, NBA summer league links etc.. I would keep my options open on imports for a while. Gary was good but I think we can get better now.

All this is fine, but one thing to remember is that you know what you will get from Gary already and you run the risk getting another import. If he is cheap enough, I think he should stay for sure. You get a second import and a marquee player! This works and he is already part of the core!

Stick by Gary. He is the best import we have had since Willy Farley. I forgive him for the brain fade against Goulding. Game 2 of the Grand Final he was huge, icing the game with those clutch free throws.

He deserves another season to try and go one better, the grass isn't always greener, I would keep him and with the dollars saved from DJ's departure, go for a angry 4 man Import in the mould of a Mika Vukona - a selfless player who loves to get amongst it down and dirty earning the 36ers the 1%'s and second chance points that we lacked this year.

"go for a angry 4 man Import in the mould of a Mika Vukona - a selfless player who loves to get amongst it down and dirty earning the 36ers the 1%'s and second chance points that we lacked this year."

doesn't Petrie already fill this role?

No Mystro, Petrie is more of a scorer. I'm not sure of Petries stats regarding rebounds but I know 2nd chance points hurt us at both ends of the floor this season.

The import I'm after is someone who plays like Vukona or even a Wagstaff. No play is ever run for them but they don't mind. Their gonna get theirs off of intense hustle and the occasional open look.

It's the Hustle I'm after, no disrespect to Peatrie, he is still a required player at the Sixers for many years to come. Maybe the Sixers could give Diamon Simpson a call this off season.

IMO this is the only hole Adelaide needs to fill to go one step further next year and take the big one.

Its too early to say whether Gary stays or goes. He's a very good player and his confidence, speed, ball-handling and closing ability helped the 36ers a lot this season.

I don't think he did a lot wrong, Perth just had exceptional imports who helped contain Gary's ability to score at the rim. Perth won't necessarily be able to retain such high quality imports next season.

I'd be happy to see him back, it just depends on other factors like whether DJ resigns, how much money is available, how much Gary wants and what other imports are available.

As a South Aussie I would love to see Newley back as well, but not for marquee money. It doesn't sound like the club is in a financially sound enough place to take that kind of risk. If he were to take import-level money and we keep DJ, it could work out nicely, with him essentially slotting into the Jarrid Frye role.

Duffman, I agree that we could use a bit more toughness around the basket, but I think you're wrong to see Petrie as more of a scorer than a hustle guy. If we keep DJ, then really we need to see more mongrel from BJ Anthony off the bench. If DJ goes, then yes a big man with some toughness would be valuable. Cam Bairstow would be the perfect guy if the Sixers could somehow sign him. Not sure if he is even looking at the NBL at this stage though.

I don't understand at all why it would be our decision for not having Ervin next season.
You only have to look at our import list from the last like 7 years to see what having the wrong import can do to our team.
Ervin has bailed us out of at least 6 games this season. He's the only guy who we can look to at the end of a game to step up and win it for us. It's been the single biggest issue our team has had since Ninnis took over as coach, and he fixed that issue.
The Sixers have struck out on basically every single import since Hodge (who we eventually struck out on too). It's just a string of underperforming names and we've sat comfortably in the bottom part of the ladder (normally the very bottom) that whole time. We get Ervin, we make the Grand Final. Diamon Simpson was ok, Gilchrist had his moments, otherwise it's just been a list of barely serviceable players. Some being much worse than barely serviceable.
If we're judging on 2 games (and completely ignoring the 17 points in 15 minutes to start game 2 and the free throws to close it out), then why don't we just completely blow up our roster. None of our players played well in game 3, except Petrie.
We're already losing our most potent offensive player in Johnson. Just look at how stagnant our offense gets when neither of those 2 guys are on the floor. Gibson is a star, but he doesn't have the penetrating ability of Ervin. Cadee and Carter aren't even close.
Are we going to back in our management to find a better player? When they've consistently gotten it wrong every single time for years (Ervin was already a known quantity)? Newley is a nice thought, but that's all he is. He'll finish his career with us at some point maybe, but he's not going to take a major pay cut to play here when he's still 29 years old.
Can't support this move at all. Ervin has made his share of mistakes, but he's been huge for us this season.

The suspended sentence would make them hesitate to bring Ervin back too?

There is a good case to have a bit of stability with imports as well

Am I the only one who would prefer a Johnny Flynn/James Ennis type marquee player instead of a Australian?

Great post Hendo8888, and I completely agree. And with all those idiots trashing Ervin throughout the season on here, would the 6rs even have made the postseason without those wins Ervin single handily won for us!!

"No Mystro, Petrie is more of a scorer."

Petrie averaged 10.9ppg last season.

Vukona averaged 11.2ppg last season.

His twitter feed seems to imply that he is saying goodbye to Adelaide but can't really tell for sure.

I suspect he would be going home to the USA for a while now that the season is up his Visa would have ran out.

I think if you intend to get rid of a player like Ervin then you really need to have a known quality replacement. We didn't need Gary to be the #1 person on the team this year and that showed. The guy has been figured out by the league but is still able to perform.

Sixers need shooters more than anything.

They're making it so hard on themselves trying to win games without a single legitimate 3 pt threat on the roster.

Their shot chart is not a picture of basketball harmony.

They also need less overlap of skillsets on the roster. You bring a guy like Cadee on for Ervin or Gibbo and he just does everything worse than the starters.

Your bench has to bring something else to the table, not just be worse versions of your starters. They need to bring a change-up.

I'd be bringing back Peach, Teys (not as a starter though), Gibbo, and maybe BJ, and telling everyone else they are replaceable. DJ obviously headed to Europe so is out.

They were so close this year but without a single three point threat I think you need to blow up half the team. Swapping one or two guys out isn't going to solve the problem because the whole roster is out of balance.

And Newley would be great to have back in the NBL, and perfect for the Sixers for so many reasons.

You get the prodigal son home, a franchise guy still in his prime, addresses many areas of need in one guy, and an instant league MVP candidate. If you can afford him...

I think Ervin simply has to go because you need a shooter at one of the backcourt positions, and you can't let Adam Gibson walk. I would say that you need a shooter at both of the backcourt positions, but again, you can't let Gibson walk so have to structure the roster around him. So by having that non shooter in the backcourt in Gibson, you need to make sure you have shooters at the 1, 3, 4 and 5 as often as you possibly can.

Macdub. Petrie was playing in a stacked lineup with DJ and Ervin taking the bulk of the shots. With DJ gone, I'd like to see Petrie get more more shots as he is a natural scorer. I'd like a new 4 man in a mould of Vukona, not a natural scorer yet gets it done through determination and hustle.

You know what I meant when I said Petrie was more of a scorer. smartass

Mick..I think you have no idea.

Mick..

The 6'ers were so close to the goal, wouldn't you want to keep the team together with the necessary tweaks rather than blow it up?

Yeah but what I'm saying is that the symmetry of the offense is so off that one or two tweaks won't do it. As it stands you have NO shooting. Bringing in one shooter isn't going to fix that. You go down the roster and there isn't a single guy who can fill it up from deep. It clogs up the the paint.

The Sixers did a tremendous job this year to win despite that, don't get me wrong.

Having said that, if you retain this core, and no other teams take a forward step, and Perth takes a step backwards without two home-run imports, you'd be instant title favourites.

Just my two cents. I'm a big believer in offensive geometry and having the floor constantly spread. If all your guys want to score from the same spot on the floor, it's gonna create some real estate problems.

I'd like Oscar Forman and Sam Young please;)

Mick has a point about the balance of the roster. While Gibson is a very good all-around player, he is not an elite scoring threat from either the perimeter or from the paint.

It means you need to get both dribble penetration and shooting from the PG and SF positions. With the Sixers having Frye and Creek at SF this season, that put a lot more pressure on Gibson and Ervin to make outside shots.

This is why bringing Teys shooting into the starting lineup at SF had such a positive effect on the Sixers offence. The downside of that was a lack of size and rebounding which Perth exploited pretty decisively in the GF series.

I do think Ervin has improved his jumper significantly since he first came into the league, so if he continues to improve from the perimeter, that could be enough, provided the Sixers can get very good shooting from the SF position.

So the value of keeping Ervin is going to come down to who is brought in at SF and whether or not DJ can be retained (because he also can spread the floor).

Incidentally, there is one scenario where the Sixers could improve if they lost DJ. That is if they were able to replace him with a dominant under the basket big (I'm thinking a Bairstow type). You could then use Ervin's speed to attack the rim, where he would be much more potent if there was a guy he could dish to rather than having to take a tough shot every time. Petrie's ability to stretch the floor at the PF spot would then make it difficult for the D to collapse and stop the drive and dish.

The one problem you've got with only bringing back Gibson, Petrie, Teys and BJ though Mick, is that I believe Schenscher, Cadee and DJ all have another year (or at least an option) on their contracts.

Personally, I would try to keep as much of the team intact as possible, whilst trying to get another outstanding shooter, preferably at the SF position. (Clint Steindl would be sweet but I don't think he's available!)

Goodbye Gary

The last thing you do is dismantle the runner up who had the best home record in club history and led the league in scoring because the offence has no symmetry! Maybe asymmetrical offences are the way to go if it produces that many points!

Re Ervin, I'm with the majority on here, better the devil you know, especially if that devil is a proven gun. They would want to have someone very good lined to replace him to let a player of his calibre go.

I would have to agree with paul & co. on this one.
Look what stood between the 36ers and the title this season. Home court advantage and Wildcats team for which the stars literally did align.
It's not often that an Ennis-calibre import comes along, and even less often that he ends up on a team that is so complete at all the other positions.

If the 36ers changed absolutely nothing they would have to be a great title shot next season, surely?

I would go with this line up:

Ervin/Carter
Gibson/Teys
Import*/Creek or rookie
Petrie/Anthony
Schenscher/?

I see Cadee moving on for more opportunity elsewhere.
If DJ stays they might go one import depending on points cap.

I think we should replace Ervin because we still won games without him and even though he helped us win some games he also helped us lose some. He needs to learn when to take control of the game and when to let the other players in the team help him out but he hasn't so far and i don't think he ever will.

I like Stevens line up, and also am of the opinion that we should keep Ervin, he is the best import we have had in a long time, and we had the best team/record we have had in a long time, so id be trying to keep pretty much everyone, the only way id let Ervin go is if we replace him with Cedric Jackson (or maybe Kevin Lisch).

I also agree good to keep a import, especially a good one, one of the best we have had for years, for more than one season. The other factor is Gary has said he would like to naturalise, not sure how close that is to happening or if it ever will, but it can be a huge advantage, and from Garys point of view if he is happy to play the right role could extend his NBL career.

Get rid of Ervin and make a play for Jamar Wilson. Similar talent, just a much cooler head.

I suspect they won't get Ervin back.

Mick:

They also need less overlap of skillsets on the roster. You bring a guy like Cadee on for Ervin or Gibbo and he just does everything worse than the starters.

If Ervin doesn't return I would go for an import from the summer league in the U.S.

Wilson / Carter
Gibson / Teys
Newley / Creek
Petrie / Anthony
DJ / Schenscher

or

Wilson / Carter
Gibson / Teys
Import / Creek
Petrie / Anthony
DJ / Schenscher

or

Wilson / Carter
Gibson / Teys
Newley / Creek
Petrie / Anthony
Import/ Schenscher

or

Wilson / Carter
Gibson / Teys
Import/ Creek
Petrie / Anthony
DJ / Schenscher

Dont discount Corey Maynard from being in the NBL and with his links to the 36ers could be a roster spot smokey.

You have to go with team balance and with DJ potentially leaving it could throw a massive spanner in the works. Imports may be needed to fill C/PF/SF positions given we have a plethora of guards.

The key as always will be the Australian talent they can sign.