tim behrendorff
Years ago
BJ opals
Will BJ ever return to the nbl or will he remain in womens basketball?
I rate him highly as a tactical and disciplinarian coach
tim behrendorff
Years ago
Will BJ ever return to the nbl or will he remain in womens basketball?
I rate him highly as a tactical and disciplinarian coach
I wouldn't think an owner/gm would hire him while his son is under the age of 36.
Not before he shows everyone how special Tessa Lavey is :) Meaning we are stuck with him for quite a while
He is done as a men's coach.
And if this Lavey as Opals starting point guard BS continues for much longer he might as well kiss women's basketball goodbye as well.
https://twitter.com/BasketballAus/status/602060679596486658
tim behrendorff
Years ago
Bj has 2 daughters who arent bad players. Are they close to wnbl selection? Perhaps smokies for 2016 opals squad?
Anonymous
Years ago
Don't think his daughter plays? But if they do would explain a lot lol
Anonymous
Years ago
Opals went down 54/75 to Serbia,
Joyce commented
What really stood out was that we have to adjust to the physicality that Serbia play with," he assessed.
"We had a very high turnover rate and if you're turning the ball over it makes is very difficult to win. The other area that we’ve got to focus on is improving our containment in the defensive end.
“We had a lot of opportunities to make shots. We’ve got to have some scoreboard pressure.”
Hmmmmm
In the history of Opals coaches, I think it's fair to say there has never been an obsession like BJ has with Lavey.
It's actually embarrassing for Tess that she can sometimes start for Opals and then return to WNBL and play 8-10 mins per game at best.
Between Lavey, Nat Burton and Rebecca Allen I can honestly say I haven't seen a situation as bad as this before.
To make sure my team is known;
Mitchell / Phillips
Snell / Madgen
Taylor / O'Hea
Bishop / Francis/Jackson
Cambage / Tolo
Others to add - Talbot (for the experience)
It the team is any different to that, BA should move on BJ. The opals need some Mercury from Brondello. She knows what's required to compete against the benchmark in USA.
Clearly not Good Enough: Lavey, Burton, Hodges, Allen, Garrick, Penaluna, Blicavs, Ebzrey, Kunek, wilson
Dunkin' Dan
Years ago
Allen is absolutely good enough and has a high ceiling for where she can get to. She's virtually a lock for my Rio Opals 12 already if I was selecting.
@ Anon.
"To make sure my team is known . . . .
It the team is any different to that, BA should move on BJ".
Don't see why BA ever need to hold camps and selection trials after that post. Just select who you say or sack the coach.
Obviously not short of a little bit of self confidence that you know eveything.
Not sure why you didn't post your phone number so BA can ring you to sort out their teams for the next 20 years or so
Anonymous
Years ago
I agree with anon567 though about BJ and his obsession, poor Lavey, not her fault.
I hope BA take a good look at what he's doing, and not renew his contract he's not be good for Australian womens basketball at., especially up at the institute
Dunkin' Dan
Years ago
I haven't seen a boxscore for game 1 anywhere unfortunately, but thanks to lovewomensbasketball.com I'm pretty sure that the Opals scorers were as follows
Batkovic 10
Talbot 9
Garrick 9
Hodges 8
Lavey 6
Snell 5
Ebzery 2
Blicavs 2
Penaluna 2
Burton 1
Wilson, Kunek -
Anonymous
Years ago
Like to see where all the turnovers occurred they speak of
571 - Will see how Allen goes against the crème internationally.... She will get her chance under the "fascination rule" applied by BJ.
Yep agree she got her chance at Bulleen and wasn't tested or had any pressure on her position. Bulleen had no choice but to play her.
She's not tough enough and hasn't got the killer winning traits at the next level. She's definitely got the length and athleticism but has a pea hart and is too emotional when things get tough. I wouldn't take her to war with me on the court.
Agree she is talented, but if people honestly think she's in the same class as Taylor and O'Hea and Madgen they too might be delusional and suffer from the "BJ" delusions.
tim behrendorff
Years ago
Could SOJ undertake gender reassignment surgery in time for a starting role for opals 2016 rio?
Dunkin' Dan
Years ago
Anon #529585, you realise that Bec Allen is in the WNBA with the NY Liberty atm, right?
That is the world's toughest competition. If she can survive that, she can certainly survive international competition.
She's young and raw and obviously still has work to do to refine her game if she wants to reach the real upper level, which is no different to most of the college graduates entering that league this season. She's a similar age to them.
These next 4 months will be great for her, and yesterday was a promising start to it.
Let's Keep monitoring Dunkin. As I said I wouldn't be taking her to war on the court.
Seriously lacks killer instinct. Wants to shoot the open shots, rarely gets to rim.
The beauty of opinion and eagerness to watch and be proven wrong....I'm confident she wont be a program changer at NY or Opals.
big difference between being a 'program changer' in the WNBA and being 'clearly not good enough' for the opals!
doit
Years ago
opals have won the bronze at the last olympics and last worlds, with a couple of starters missing from the teams.
I do not think any other coach in this period would have got better results than BJ.
The argument on who should be coach should be performance driven, not personality driven
Joyce wasn't even the Coach at the last Olympics , Graff was, so get your facts correct. Yes bronze at the Worlds. As BJ has stated , to be the best, you have to beat the rest !!! USA will Luv hearing that, so let's see how it goes in 2016 ? Time will tell. !
Annoy
Years ago
Seriously...he lead the team to a bronze medal with out liz or Lauren and many others who opted to rest at the worlds. Joyce has proven himself at Nbl and now as opals coach. This squad is a development squad visiting Europe against full strength European teams.
Anonymous
Years ago
Ask your self WHY some chose to 'rest' themselves........it will be interesting to see how many will still be resting
I thought I was on craiglist when I read this title.
paul
Years ago
"Ask your self WHY some chose to 'rest' themselves........it will be interesting to see how many will still be resting"
Given the likes of Jackson, Cambage, Taylor, Batkovic, Tolo, Snell, Francis and Phillips have chosen to play since 2012, I don't think your insinuation really holds water.
565 loses all credibility when he suggests Allen isn't good enough. Then tries (poorly) to defend it.
finals995
Years ago
The second game against Serbia not much better. Aussie team going down 86-78 after conceding a 35 point 3rd quarter. Keeping things in perspective, Brendan described the performances of some of the players as, 'sensational'.
This the same Serbian team defeated 62-53 by Peter Buckle's below strength GB team earlier this month.
Dunkin' Dan
Years ago
Opals win the first of 3 games vs Italy 77-65
Ebzery the standout.
Boxscore:
http://www.fibalivestats.com/u/FIP/127201/index.html
Is it possible he is going down the route that Australia did with the Socceroos? Sure you know you have your players at the top, but in the friendlies/lead up games you want unearth if there is anything coming through underneath that.
Short terms losses for long terms gain.
just a thought and a different way to look at it.
Dunkin' Dan
Years ago
I think that has been his philosophy right from the start. His focus has always been on the next wave. I think what bothers people is that a) maybe he has been over-focussed on youngsters and as a result overlooked some players who might not be under 22 but are far from past their best basketball, and b) his idea of who will become the best players down the track might not match other people's opinions.
There is nearly an entire Opals team worth of our best players unavailable for the current Opals tour due to either WNBA commitments or injuries. Those players are for the most part very experienced.
So it makes complete sense to me for this touring Opals B team to consist of mostly youngsters, with a few experienced heads in there just to be leaders and keep things together.
Personally I don't agree with all of his selections but I do agree with his overall approach.
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