Isaac
Years ago
Shane Heal writes about NBL expansion
Once expansion does happen, and it will, the interesting thing will be how the league helps new clubs be competitive. The AFL obviously bent over backwards for their expansion plans with Gold Coast and the Giants in Sydney by giving them favourable conditions to recruit. The draft was another way that these young clubs stacked their young talent and whilst this strategy does take some time for the players to develop.... everyone can see it is working year by year. Basketball however doesn't have the draft, the time to wait nor the money that the AFL has to invest, so a solution is needed for more parity across the league from day one. If the points system stays (and I think it has to until clubs have proven that they can stick to a hard salary cap for years to come) then expansion teams are behind the 8-ball immediately. I say this because of the loyalty points that are awarded for players that stay with the same club for 5 years. This is a terrific rule and both players and clubs should be rewarded for longevity and stability at the same team. Fans get to know players and constant changes aren’t good for clubs or fans. Perth have really led the way and benefited from the management and poise to build a club rather than trying to buy success.Full text on his site
Conversely, the Wildcats are a good example of how new clubs will struggle to compete. They have quality, toughness, leadership and class that have made them the envy and yardstick of the NBL and they deserve their success. However, the expansion teams need to be able to compete pretty quickly if they are going to attract sponsorship dollars, bums on seats and the general support of the regions. Obviously ownership and management structures will greatly contribute to this and the ability to integrate into and support the community will also play big parts. But that being said fans and sponsors alike won’t want to see their teams flogged for years before they get a chance to realistically compete for playoff spots.
Nothing groundbreaking that you haven't read elsewhere (third import for expansion teams, need for parity, etc) but positive and supportive of more teams even if it means starting in smaller stadiums.
