Gladness on Twitter:

Very excited to be "taking my talents" next season to the Townsville Crocs of the Australian @NBL! Can't wait to see what Aus has to offer!!

The 27-year-old is a defensive beast, leading the NCAA in blocked shots in 2006-07 with 6.27 blocks-per-game & 396 blocks over his career at Alabama A&M. Furthermore, Gladness holds the record for the number of blocks in a game in NCAA history when he recorded 16 blocks vs Texas Southern on February 24th 2007. Beating David Robinson, Shawn Bradley, Roy Rogers & Loren Woods' previous record of 14. To this day, he’s the only man to ever record over 15 blocks in NCAA Division 1 history.

Gladness played for the Orlando Magic in the 2013/14 NBA Pre-Season. Making his mark in the Magic’s 102-94 win over the Dallas Mavericks where he had 6 blocks in 16 minutes.

Bringing W's back to Townsville I hope.

He'll anchor down the middle.Watching his tapes he should be good for 15pts 10rebs 5blocks a game.If they sign Conklin, who plays the 2 spot?

Great signing imo,

great to see some ex NBA guys come here, hope all clubs can land one, helps with the profile of the league especially for the more NBA fans, my bro is more of a NBA fan with a small interest in the NBL but takes more interest and thinks the NBL are improving and respects the league more when guys like Sam Young and James Ennis come to the NBL, so if others are like that these types of signings will hopefully draw more interest from the Aussie public/basketball (NBA) fans who arent really NBL followers.

Back onto Gladness, he will give them that big man they have been lacking, from memory was a decent athlete, id expect him to average something around 10 pts, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks a game and give them a rim protector, could even be a slightly better scorer with his size and athleticism, especially as the Crocs seem to have surrounded him with shooters, a bit of a NBL Dwight Howard???

If they bring Conklin back also, get a bit more scoring out of Markvic all season and Steindl fits in well, adds perimiter shooting, could have a really nice, athletic line up.

With them signing this guy already I assume they have Steindl signed. This guy will be a real good shotblocker and rebounder. If they resign Conklin will be a beast frontcourt
Markovic/Norton
Steindl/Djeric
Blanchfield/
Conklin or Import/Holmes
Gladness/

ok so crocs sign an ex NBA player who is quite good. Im that excited to see who Perth bring!! SOO excited for this season

Can we please stop calling people NBA players because they suited up pre season. If it isn't a regular season game then they haven't played NBA.

Great signing, always love seeing an Ex-NBA player on our shores. Hope he plays well but has a stinker against the Sixers.

Can we please stop calling people NBA players because they suited up pre season. If it isn't a regular season game then they haven't played NBA.

Expect a lot of huge blocks and dunks!

You beauty, definately sounds like the rim protector the crocs have been looking for. Add steindl and Conklin and that's a very exciting versatile lineup that has no glaring weaknesses. Maybe not super deep, but two great point guards, two of the better Aussie wings, great post scorer in Conklin and an athletic shot blocker at centre. I'd imagine kenny and vandy will make up the numbers to keep costs down.

Pretty big signing for a struggling club. If he turns out as advertised this really is the perfect acquisition.

Gladness is a pogo stick with fringe-NBA talent who doesn't mind running the floor which is going to fit right into the Crocs' style.

I haven't seen enough of him to know whether he just posts big block numbers or is actually a decent defender to boot, but hopefully he isn't a gambler down low and can play solid man-to-man post defense as well.

Getting pretty excited all of a sudden if Steindl is also on board. With Jervis snapped up that 5 position HAD to be an import, but I didn't think it would be a guy of this calibre...was thinking it would be another NZBL guy on low money.

I wouldn't worry too much about depth Kr: I've always maintained that it isn't that important in the NBL when you only play once or twice a week and there are only 20 odd regular season games (but what do I know...). I would rather have 7 or 8 legit rotation guys that can play multiple positions, which it's looking like we will have. Markovic, Norton, Djeric, Steindl, Blanchfield, Holmes and Conklin can all slide between positions on offense and most of them can also guard multiple positions which is huge.

I'd love to see Norton and Markovic starting together in a high octane backcourt like this:

Markovic
Norton / Djeric
Blanchfield / Steindl*
Conklin* / Holmes
Gladness

*not officially signed yet

Is that everyone who is signed? Conklin is close apparently, and I'm guessing he re-ups. Steindl is rumoured by not comfirmed.

Leaves 2 roster spots.

What are the needs at this point Kr?

A 2 with legit size and a 4 who can play some 5 would be great IMO..but reality is a different matter entirely with a limited Aussie talent pool & funds to draw from. Do you re-sign Scott Kenny? Or take another punt on a different SEABL shooting guard? Who else is out there? Michael Cedar could be had on league minimum or close to it, but surely there are better players in the SEABL, even if you know what you get with Cedar at the NBL level.

I don't think an immobile 7 footer like Vandy really fits with this roster at all, but he is cheap and he brings off the court stuff to the table - last season the big fella handled some administration duties which doesn't hurt if you're a community club. If you're going purely on basketball merits though, I wouldn't be bringing him back?

It's a real shame that they couldn't get the Entertainment Centre to work...I think this team would really get people through the door if they play the right way.

Even if all they do now is bring back Kenny & Vandy (assuming Conklin and Steindl are confirmed) you'd have to give Shawn Dennis an A grade for this offseason...

Yeah great signing. As weird as it sounds, the Crocs will be a real force this season!

I'm more excited about the Crocs than I am the Taipans

Markovic/Norton
Steindl/Djeric

This backcourt will not win you much, very average to say the least.

Haha nice one A.

Looks like one of the best in the league to me.

Mitch Norton is the best young PG in the league and and Steve Markovic is the best Aussie PG in the league, period.

2 guard spot is thin but both Norton and Markovic spend lots of time playing off the ball at shooting guard in Shawn Dennis' system, while Mirko Djeric is very young and only going to get better.

And Clint Steindl will not play in the backcourt.

Main weaknesses last year were interior defence, rebounding and athleticism. We controlled the ball well, shot ok from outside, worked hard and our offense created much better shots consistently than in years past. But we were constantly undone by teams scoring as soon as they beat their man, without a shot changer down low.

I would also have to give Dennis top marks if Conklin and steindl come off, I imagine with the young talent we have it is not a particularly expensive roster but seems like a very solid one.

Norton, markovic, steindl, blanchfield, Holmes, Conklin and gladness will all play 20 plus minutes I would imagine, so you don't need a huge amount more from Djeric, and the other two spots.

As for their needs mick I think because of their versatility anything else would be cream, like snagging carter Dillon or Brandt in a back up role. But I really think this team addresses rebounding, athleticism and rim protection.

Pg. norton and markovic
Sg. Steindl, markovic and Dj
Sf. Blanchfield and steindl
Pf Conklin, Holmes and blanchfield
Cen. Gladness, Conklin

Obviously comes down to Dennis's rotations but there are two quality options at each position so anything from the other Aussie 2/3 and back up centre isn't essential, so crocs are probably better off saving some coin. Hinges on steindl and Conklin of course.

Mick, I'm not stating they are bad players, they just will not win you many games. Martin and Gibson miles ahead of Markovic when it comes to building teams around Aussie PGs.

Also when a club comes out saying the Markovic is the face/franchise player of the club, you know the club is in serious trouble.

Oh my Gladness I just found my new dream team centre to replace Ogilvy!

Anyone that is dissing this team have to remember that they are young and they will be better in March than they will be in November.

Norton, Blanchfield, Djeric and Steindl are not going to get worse anytime soon.

This team had a tremendous upside, with a great coach that inspires confidence in his team and a young athletic squad that this Wildcats member will certainly have great fun cheering on the Crocs this season (from afar)

Markovic's second half of the season suggested he is right up there with Martin and Gibson.

Yeah, I thought Markovic was pretty decent. Not so excited about Steindl (looked like he could go the way of Hill with Fearne) and Djeric.

Isaac,the only real comparison is the mental weakness that Hill & Steindl share....this was with them long before their Taipans(Fearne)gig....and will plague them long after.

I think Djeric has a hitch in his shot that needs to be fixed before he will get any more consistent.

Steindl on the other hand is soft, sure, but he's not going to be asked to do too much in townsville except run in transition and sit in the corner and shoot open 3s when defences collapse. 6 ft 7 guys who can shoot 3s can be counted on 1 hand in this league.

Markovic is underrated in my opinion. Can really shoot the ball and distribute it.

Yea i rate Markovic on par with Gibson and Martin, just a very different player, i think Markovic is the best offensively of the 3 but the weakest defensively, he had a great end to the season.

As Mick said anyone who is 6'7 and can shoot the 3 is very handy and worth having, assuming they havnt paid too much.

If Gladness is even close to a Simon Dwight or Willie Simmons level/type they will have a great pick up and look to have a very nice starting 5 imo.

Well done to the Crocs, i really rate Shawn Dennis he was high on my list of potential 36er coaches before Joey signed and has proven to do very well, as has Joey.

Markovic really picked up his defense late in the season. I was pretty critical of him early on but he was putting in effort in the last third of the season on that end. I think you'll see an even better Markovic next season with a full NBL campaign under his belt and being an extra year removed from the shackles of staid Euro offenses. It was like he flicked a switch towards the end of the season when he realised "hey...this isn't europe...I can go score whenever I want and I'm not going to get benched..."

Hopefully he is getting those ankles rested and working on dropping a few kgs in the offseason (funny how overweight PGs always have ankle problems, isn't it?)...

Spot on Mick, he thrived once he got fit and figured how the league worked. I think you're a fair bit off with your comment about 6'7 guys who can shoot though.

Who can REALLY shoot it...ie. at or around 40% from deep?

Help me out here but I can think of:

Steindl
Wagstaff
Foreman
Blanchfield
Abercrombie
Redhage
Coenraad
D. Johnson
Ballinger

Alright so it takes two hands to count them.

Still, they are scarce, and Steindl is the 2nd youngest on that list (Blanchfield is 2 years younger than Steindl).

And I would happily have any one of those guys on my team in a heartbeat.

From last year there was also Wilkinson and Ennis, while Loughton and Weigh are genuine threats and even guys like Vanderjagt, Walker and Holmes were around 40% even though you definitely wouldnt class them as great shooters.

I'm being pedantic though, Steindl is almost as pure a shooter as you'll get and his length is pretty handy for a wing guy.

I see Steindl as a bit of a inbetween of Abercrombie and Weigh, more Abercrombie build and athleticism with a Weigh like skill set, he is a nice pick up for the Crocs, (i was hoping the 36ers would get him) assuming they havnt paid too much for him like the 36ers did giving franchise money to Weigh.

If I was Dennis (and assuming Steindl is signed) id just be assigning an assistant full time this offseason working on ballhandling with Steindl and Blanchfield. It will be huge if both of those guys can handle the ball.

That's all Paul George spent time doing last offseason and look how it paid off.

Yea i agree, imagine if even one of those 2 became a reliable handler and a better rounded player, would be awesome!

The Crocs remain one of my favourite teams to watch with the roster they are putting together. I enjoyed them last season, thought Pace and Conklin were nice imports, Blanchfield is a top young talent and once Markovic got firing they were fantastic.

If Melbourne get Stephen Dennis back they will be on my list too,

gotta love long athletic, versatile players!

Wow. Looks like a pretty good budget roster.

Surprised they managed to afford this guy!

Re: ball handling, that is my big question mark with Steindl, if they want to give him starter minutes at 2 and play he and Blanchfield together. Most teams tend to play with two point guards or one pg and combo.
Where as Steindl is more a 2/3 slasher, Lets hope he is up to it.

"Surprised they managed to afford this guy!"

He's been on D-League money recently so maybe mightn't have had too high an asking price?

Second-year Lakers guard Andrew Goudelock is a perfect example. Though the young gun made $475,000 as a rookie last season in Los Angeles, this season proved to be a tough one. Cut by the Lakers following training camp, Goudelock laced up his sneakers and put on an NBADL jersey because he, like many who follow his game closely, thought it would only be a matter of time. If he stayed in the minors and played well enough, perhaps he'd be able to remind NBA teams what they were missing out on, and earn a call-up shortly after.

For whatever reason, though Goudelock tore up the league all season long, that oh so coveted call didn't come his way for quite a while. It wasn't until Kobe Bryant went down with a severe injury last month that Los Angeles called upon Goudelock once again to fill in during the playoffs. His further contract details at this point are still unclear, but expect the Lakers to yet again hold the cards with regard to training camp and keeping Goudelock in town.

Not much is guaranteed for these young guns, which is why it made sense (regardless of how unfortunate it still may be) that Goudelock said in a recent report that he was forced to borrow money from his girlfriend, a college student, during the regular season. The guard was reportedly earning just $1,200 every two weeks in the minors.

According to ESPN's Marc Stein, there are three basic levels of D-League player salaries: $25,000, $19,000, and $13,000. Taking the league by storm as he ran away with its M.V.P., award, it's sensible to assume Goudelock was earning the top amount. Still, such isn't much to write home about.

In addition to the modest salary, there are other varied perks. The D-League teams do in fact pay for player housing, provide certain benefits, and grant each of their players a $40 per-diem for food, etc.

Living life going from paycheck to paycheck is not the type of lifestyle not many would think of when considering the life of professional athletes. Nevertheless, it's all part of the D-League grind. The league's players are gunning for other opportunities, but if one in the NBA does't come along accordingly, it's easy to understand why the much more lucrative opportunities overseas become that much more temping and/or desirable.

Better ballhandling for your wings isn't just to help out your PG with ball carrying duties either: it means Steindl and Blanchfield can finally leverage that explosive athleticism more consistently. All the hops in the world arent going to help you if you cant get by your man first...

Its really all that separates your Steindls, Abercrombies and Blanchfields from being fringe NBA talents. For whatever reason ballhandling isnt emphasised in this country...

yeah good call mick

skull

Isaac,the only real comparison is the mental weakness that Hill & Steindl share....this was with them long before their Taipans(Fearne)gig....and will plague them long after.

Mackay is 8 or so hours from Cairns and only 3 and a half or so from Townsville so it means you can drive home on weekends or pretty much whenever you want to (if that's of interest to him...).

My sample size is small since I didn't see many Cairns games that weren't against the Crocs, but for every game Steindl went missing, there was one where he single handedly destroyed Townsville with his range and offensive rebounding. Even at age 25 there is tremendous upside there.

And can someone get him in the weight room while we're at it picking apart his game?

Isaac, no disputing their skill sets.....we all know how 'interesting' these two guys are to coaches.

I really hope Steindl does well in Townsville,i would love him to reach his potential at some stage but it's going to take a while for him to mature as a professional athlete.
Another 'average' season in Cairns would have really damaged his stocks.

I thought Blanchfield was already an upgrade as a ball handler on Peter Crawford but PC was just awful