Developed Tomlinson.... When did that happen? Adnam is in front of him now

Like the kings- really bad both of the major city teams and with big $$ rosters failed. Quite predictable, they will make mass changes, sack coach, etc etc

No two ways about it. Melbourne has a huge team. The class is there but cannot gel to its advantage.

Wildcats in beating them is big. For that reason, I think Cats are the real deal. Cairns to go under next.

I don't know what everyone's contract status is, if someone is able to post that up, it would help.

I think they probably overpaid for some players, but that is only based on rumoured amounts. Plus it doesn't necessarily mean they are bad players, or not worth keeping.

Watching today, coach has to be the first to go. When in timeouts the players look disinterested, and some of his subs are baffling. Goulding was reasonably hot in the first, so he sat him in the 2nd for the first 4 minutes, could not believe it.

Blanchfield seems to have gone backwards this year, whilst the roster is talented it looks unbalanced, Anderson, Boone, Majok and Wesley are very much the same type of player, not a lot of variety there. The back court is Casper and Goulding.

Yeah, I have to say, the one thing Goulding brings is his ability to get hot and bust a game open. Yet a couple of times I've seen him bench when red-hot, then come back cold. Why not just let him play?

Can they re-sign Ware?
He's been a great addition to the NBL this season.

Is he too old to get another crack at the NBA?

Or is he good enough to earn big bucks in Europe?

Ware is certainly good enough for Europe, but didn't he come here because he wasn't enjoying it? (And to re-unite with his old buddy Andersen)

United.... bust to boom to bust. Classic underachiever. Their final finishing place even though they were 13-15 tells all. Second last and although Brisbane finished behind them that was only because they were undermanned.
Melbourne were the worst defensive team in the competition by a long way.

I never like to blame it on the coach, but in this case, that's the #1 priority.

The team had all the pieces. But everyone could see there was a certain level of disinterest in timeouts and confusion with sub rotations.

Ware & Andersen were teammates in France last season.

That's a bit harsh on a DP.
Clearly they lacked depth in the backcourt, but wasn't that supposed to be Moore's job?

Poach Randle and they'll be fine

Championships can be bought, just need to buy right

I'm not sure of all contracts throughout the team other than a couple, so I'll just ignore them for this. The below is the current playing list from Wikipedia.


Demopolous - Give him the royal boot

Hancock (DP) - Cut
Tomlinson - Cut (should've happened years ago)
Boone - Re-sign
Adnam (DP) - Re-sign
Moore - Re-sign (unsure of status due to injury replacement)
Blanchfield - Re-sign
Anderson - Re-sign
Smith-Milner (DP) - Cut
Odigie - Cut
Barlow - Cut
Ware - Re-sign
Majok - Re-sign
Kromah - Cut (injury replacement anyway)
Wesley - Cut
Goulding - Re-sign

Ahhhh, excellent.

Demopolous - Cut

Hancock (DP) - Cut
Tomlinson - Cut
Boone - Re-sign
Adnam (DP) - Re-sign
Moore - Cut
Blanchfield - Re-sign
Anderson - Re-sign
Smith-Milner (DP) - Cut
Odigie - Cut
Barlow - Cut
Ware - Re-sign
Majok - Re-sign
Kromah - Cut
Wesley - Cut
Goulding - Re-sign

I believe Goulding & Andersen are both on two year deals, Goulding on $400k a year and Andersen on $500k-$600k a year. Pretty sure Wesley signed a two year deal too and Moore was formally released for Kromah.

Blanchfield's two year deal should now be finished, be surprised if he re-signs.

I may get some negative feedback here, so gulp. I would keep a majority of the players on the team , however, I would change the style of play to the opposite of what they are doing. DD is horrible.
I would only want one of ware or Goulding as I deem them similar in style individual isolation type players. Despite there difference in size. I went last week and both of them tried to be too individual and I don't care they can win maybe one game themselves in a season, they need to have better rotations and production from the top 7 players on the team. A better coach would should implore Goulding to have a well rounded game as in the second half against illawarra he got others involved and worked extremely well.
Boone was a revelation and I am a fan of Wesley, however he dropped out of the rotation in last couple weeks and unsure why majok still starts. He has regressed, Wesley produced decent numbers off the bench. Andersen was and probably still is injured. He should bounce back with a full preseason.
Adnam and Tomlinson are not good enough to run a team even in backup form. If adnam could finish at the basket he would be invaluable but he's too soft. Third import was non existent and sadly Barlow is done.
Blanchfield would revel if he managed to get consistent shots otherwise taken from Goulding and ware.
Odigie wasn't used at all.
A organised offence will make a huge difference.
W

Blanchfield to Illawarra? Could be scary in that system and help Beveridge stop his perennial underachieving.

Personally I think they'd benefit from stripping everything back..adopt a horses for courses approach..get players for specific roles rather than simply getting generic scorers/guys fixated on scoring i.e. Blanchfield, Wesley, Anderson etc

Stay with Ware, Goulding, Majok and Adnam. Get 1 or 2 versatile imports (i.e. Craig) and a few do it all/hustler types. Rather than the "glitter team" approach.

Toddy back to Qld?

Love the Todd -> Illawarra call, paul.

Can see Blanchfield at Illawarra and doing well.

Utd would be insane to not attempt to retain Boone (trying lock Ware is obvious), problem is I think the management are insane.

I hope Blanchfield goes to Illawarra or Adelaide where he could become a serious weapon. I've had enough watching him languish at United.

I believe Goulding and Andersen signed two year deals at the start of the season and will therefore return.

At the 4 spot, we have 3 guys who are very different, all deserving of minutes but none are stars. Bit of a logjam. If I was going to make some wild predictions at this very early stage...

- Blanchfield is lured elsewhere.
- Barlow retires.

Next season's roster- hopefully:

Majok
Andersen
?Import 3?
Goulding
Ware

Boone
Wesley
Odigie
Tomlinson
? New signing or import

Adnam (DP)

With a new coach and a clean run with injuries, United will challenge next season.

[What is the new coach is another DD-like dud? Classic LVism.]

Signing Shawn Dennis, Dean Vickerman or even better Brian Goorjian would be a fairly good way to ensure that doesn't happen.

Melbourne chief executive Vince Crivelli confirmed a review of the team would canvas the club's three imports and its out-of-contract coach.

Demopolous wants to coach on after a semi-final exit last year and this season’s poor finish in an 18-game season with countless narrow losses.

Goulding declared he was certain to return to United on the second year of his deal after fixing an ankle that was an issue all season.

Crivelli is keen to sign American imports Casper Ware and Josh Boone after both were revelations when secured midway through the season.

They are out of contract along with Todd Blanchfield, David Barlow, Nate Tomlinson and Owen Odigie, with Goulding, Majok Majok, Tai Wesley and David Andersen still contracted.

Crivelli said of the continual Goorjian links: "This week I heard him linked to Perth and Sydney and he has been linked to us since three years ago.

“He is a legend of Australian sport so while he is around his name will come up. It makes for good reading but he’s probably sick of it and so are we."

Vickerman will be coaching United next season.

Going by Spatial Jam, the ones contracted for next season are:

Goulding
Andersen
Wesley

Definitely get Boone back. Ware if you can. Wouldn't throw the chequebook at Blanchfield - he reminds me of Weigh in Adelaide and the expectations; I think he's better as a complementary piece rather than big budget focus.

I think Cedric Jackson was the right type of player for them (or for almost any team that doesn't have Damian Martin!).

Wesley seems on the outer recently?

Sack Crivelli...or at least stop letting him make basketball decisions. Great job off the court but on...result speak for themselves.

Track record at Sandringham and now United on the basketball front is not that desirable

They've got a great core they just need a couple more workman and it's all been said ...I'm sure DD can coach but he has made some baffling decisions.

If it was me in the hot seat the drastic change with current playing patterns is one of Goulding or Ware to come off the bench ...probably Chris (assuming he can approach it in the right way mentally).

When both Ware/CG sit - MU just lose focus, I'd rather have 1 of them out there for the entire game.

On the import mix ....Ware has been great but with Majok and Andersen can you really say Boone is a priority - esp that his price will now be right up there? I'd go Ware, a versatile swing man more a 3-4 (e.g Craig) and then just a best available...to be honest I'd be looking more at someone who can play D more than shoot the ball as that is what the lack.

They need an upgrade at back up point ...surely a veteran aussie guard could be lured to clock Rhys Martin type minutes?

Really it all comes down to the coach. Anstey was a good choice back a while ago being able to create a real sense of community by being a former player as well with DMac. Demo preached the good stuff but he never could quite adapt to the nbl rules and never seemed to respect the competition enough.
The biggest fault was underusing Majok and Blanch in the offense. Majok lost all confidence he never knew when he was actually going to recieve the ball on p/r plays hence all the fumbling. Need a coach who can control gouldings iso sponser label 3ball.

Culture wise yes.

Their basic problem was defence, giving up penetration, conceding on ball switches,
Too many leadfoots. Anderson, Majok, Balow (hard to believe), Wesley Boone.

Ware was a tough defender, Goulding average, Blanchfield average (certainly not up to defending a stud like Prather).
The balance of the team has never been right. Of course it changed when Ware arrived. But as a team they give up too many easy buckets or foul too much.

Ware Boone sign now.
Blanchfield and Goulding too similar although Goulding more versatile because he can go to the hoop.
Boone, Majok, Anderson only room for two.
Tomlinson, Adnam hard to work out what heir role was.
Odigie now he can defend and he was under-utilised. So what if he can't shoot. Barlow can shoot but gives up twice as much at the other end, and he just plays with no energy.
Wesley fell out of favour as season progressed. He at least went to the hoop. But defensively just a fouling machines.
That's the trouble with buying up talent. Chemistry goes out the window.
Once they figured out what Ware was capable of I would have sorted out some sort of on ball strategy in man and played some zone to hide half the team.
Player wise, realising there are ego's and contract status pecking order.
Ware. Tomlinson or Adnam at 1 spot.
Goulding, Blanchfield,at 2.
Odigie, Barlow at 3. Maybe Blanchfield could have some time dependent on opposition.
Anderson, Wesley at 4
Majok, Boone at 5
And I would have stuck with that rotation and made the players accept it.
The game is so easy from the couch.

I think it is interesting that both JVG (Sydney) and VC (United) were heavily involved with the Melbourne Tigers teams that were notoriously poor at defense. Perhaps both should be less involved in basketball operations and decisions about personnel.