Because some nights other teams play better.

Starting line up has changed a few times.

How many players have started at any given point? 9 now?

Posted this on another thread, though it may be more relevant here:

Got a question for all those Adelaide fans crying in the wake of another loss...

If Sydney say goodbye to big Al Harrington once Chillders comes back from injury, would the 6'ers look to replace Ere with Al?

A big factor is Adelaide had the slowest or second slowest statistical pace before Randle arrived, and have had the fastest pace since.

The fact you have a pint-sized point guard and a poor defensive centre also makes the team more vulnerable defensively, especially a team that likes to switch a lot.

Congrats on starting a thread on the D though PeterJohn, rather than blaming the offence when it is producing its fair share of points.

I'd agree that the Gibson/Randle situation feels like the Gibson/Wilson situation. Gibson disappears when he's playing off the ball, and it seems to effect his play on the other end too. Truth be told I'm not sure why Adelaide keep bringing in import PGs when they have Gibson, although it's hard to argue with the Randle signing.

I don't think Randle is a bad defender, but DJ is not exactly a presence on D, and Peach is all hustle but not a rim protector.

Imagine throwing a big body like Harrington in the mix on D and waving goodbye to Ebi, can only dream! Biggest selling point would be we will keep you in game shape, and you get to go against Childress. Money wouldn't be the issue for this guy imo. Would definitely cause some issue for opposition offences and give the 36ers a lot more balance on offense. DJ could quietly go about getting his big numbers and wouldn't have to deal with the defensive loads he is absorbing a the moment.

paul - agree about the pace difference but that alone for me doesn't explain why 36ers were, on average outscoring opponents early in the season and being outscored later in the season.

The point about teams who like to switch sounds more plausible. It's consistent with teams deciding that strategy is the way to beat the Sixers and changing their games accordingly.

Bear - I'll bite. I assume you're referring to Sydney having had the chance for Harrington to get fitter and start playing well and Webster returning to NZ. So these teams have improved from when they first played the Sixers in games 1-4.

That then begs the question, what do the Sixers do to be able to beat these teams again? And how will the current 36ers shape up against Melbourne and Illawarra, given the outside defensive problems that have been exposed in the last 4 games. Those teams thrive on that and we have 7 games against those two clubs. Current form would have us struggling to go better than 2-5 there.

Kobe24 - does Harrington fix the outside defensive issue or does he just improve the inside help when DJ gets caught having to switch on penetration, which others have suggested is part the 36ers' problem ATM?

Kobe24 - and does Harrington in for Ere make this look more like the 2015 version 2 Sixers (i.e., with Harrington for Motum and Randle for Wilson)?

How long before Harrington might be available?

I really dont know, I never saw him as a defensive specialist as such, but man he is a big boy. Giving DJ some help down low from a guy that is very hard to back down on can only help. Im very concerned about what Ogilvy is going to do to the 36ers and DJ's foul count in the future.

36ers really need Hodgson to get back to a game 1 groove to be able to rest DJ. That is the value that Schenscher brought to the 36ers

The more i look at the way the season is unfolding the more i think the 36ers beat a YMCA team in that first game. Hodgson doesnt seem to get into any sort of groove, before he is in foul trouble or benched for a mistake. Joey needs to let the guy develop on the court.

Ive wanted Joey moved on for a while, but the players seem to love him. A GF series will usually get you a few extra years to try and succeed, but he is starting to walk on slightly thinner ice imo.

Having said all that, Joey aint going anywhere, so no point starting the sack the coach routine. He is here for a while longer now Lemanis got the Bullets gig, so hopefully he just leaves the imports selections and defensive strategies to someone else...

Anon^
While I don't necessarily disagree, why was the defence apparently working in the first few games? Is it simply that other teams have worked out a strategy to beat our defence or has removing McNeail and adding Randle changed the on-court dynamic and led to more defensive breakdowns?

My feeling is that the 36ers were a quite different team at the start of this year than at the end of last year. Likewise for most of the other teams. In the first few games, they caught other teams still settling their on-court chemistry and tactics while presenting a different look themselves.

After those first few games, other teams have gelled and coaches have realised you can still beat the 36ers from the perimeter and penetration.

Randle's arrival has introduced a faster pace, as paul observed, and led to Gibson reprising his regular disappearing act. Randle's small size may be a factor as well.

All of this has led to higher scoring games with the 36ers on the wrong end of the results.

I've no idea how to fix that with the current personnel. Gibson is too inconsistent to rely on. Creek no longer seems to offer the defensive toughness he has shown in the past. I can't see a lock-down defender who can take on and contain the Goulding, Blanchfield, Webster, Lisch, Beal type players week after week.

McNeail was actually a really promising player. I don't get the Kenyon bashing here, he showed a lot at the Blitz.

Although Randle is a better player, I think McNeail would have deferred to Gibbo a lot more which would keep him mentally checked in for the whole 40 minutes. It's a real shame the way Gibbo has treated this last month after the way he started the season. Can anyone explain why his play is so bipolar?

Also, if you look back, their wins have come in lower-scoring games. Funnily enough those were the games Gibbo dominated. When he's engaged and dominating the ball, he 1) plays better defensively and 2) slows the pace down just enough to ensure they are getting good shots amd aren't out of control. Some of the crap Randle chucks up impacts not just the offence but the defence in turn. Defensively I'd say Adelaide are the victims of their own offence. Playing fast doesn't seem to suit them on the other end. What do you do against a running team? You run back.

Some token pressure on the inbounder and ball-handling guard wouldn't go astray either. Notice when Adelaide play well they do that too?

Touch the Rim - McNeail's injury probably contributed to his deference to Gibson.

Gibson's inconsistency bemuses everyone - probably the man himself as well! His best is so very good but it's rare and seems to come when expectations are lower. e.g., Boomers games where he comes off the bench or is expected to be more of a role player; and when the 36ers are missing key players and are not expected to do well. He's produced some purlers in those situations.

The Sixers played well against a NZ squad missing Pledger, Abercrombie & Webster and had a bunch of development kids playing in their place along with a new import who was finding his feet in Charles Jackson.
This inflated Adelaide's fans hopes and dreams for the season and now reality has set in.

Agree re: McNeail. I was skeptical based on his pedigree, but in the blitz he looked solid - a smart guard who doesn't look to force the action.
You can look back in hindsight and say the injury and how it happened was stupid, but I think he was a quality signing for probably a reasonable amount of $$$.

Peter, even if he were 100 per cent healthy McNeail would never take the number of shots and dominate the amount of ball that Randle is. I watched the Blitz intently and they had a decent balance there. Not mind-blowing but they were working on it.

Joey's persistence with the import PGs next to Gibbo is a wrong move imo. Get a specialist 2-man who can run the floor, shoot the three and defend. Someone like... Willie Green. Where's that guy at?

Also, what are the odds that Gibbo goes to Brisbane next year? He's 'Joey's boy' but what if he and Lemanis struck up something at the Boomers? Plus there's probably the carrot that he'd have the keys to that team

Hodgson has the height to be a rim protector but lacks speed and mobility for the up tempo offence the Sixers are running. I feel the team needs to cut Ere for a athletic rim protector, Gladness being my perfect example. Just my opinion last time I mentioned this plenty disagreed.

Also, what are the odds that Gibbo goes to Brisbane next year? He's 'Joey's boy' but what if he and Lemanis struck up something at the Boomers? Plus there's probably the carrot that he'd have the keys to that team


I actually wonder whether Joey is hoping the same thing tbh. Not sure this "Joey's boy" thing is a strong as people think it is..

Plus there's probably the carrot that he'd have the keys to that team

I love DJ, he's an elite Dream Team scorer but you have to admit that opposition teams going inside to his opponent and trying to get him in foul trouble so well done to them but why they aren't giving more minutes to Hodgson is beyond me, he isn't that much of a liability on offence, his game reminds me of Jervis and I think Hodgson should be used the same way, offering rebounding, rim protection and cheapies around the basket.

I've mentioned on here before that I don't think Gibbo is hungry enough and surely giving Teys or Sobey 5 minutes extra a game, their hunger and output will be far greater than what Gibbo is giving