Shane Heal

@ShaneHeal

I believe the gap between 1-8 in this years @NBL season will be the biggest we have seen in a LONG time!

How does it seem like Adelaide are struggling?

Teys, Deleon, Doyle plus the Creek issues compared to the money Melbourne and Sydney are throwing around. I probably should have stated I meant in comparison. If other clubs can't keep up how will this relate to their success and financial survival?

Shane can probably give them some financial advice to help bridge the gap.

First step would be to get his mate derek in to review the books.

You don't really know until the season's over.

People have been forewarning the big divide for years but it has never really come. Money doesn't automatically correlate to success.

I remember a lot of people a few years ago thought TVL would stink it up on a terrible budget and yet they did alright and were still competitive.

LOL. Last few years have shown that spending big means nothing..... shown by Adelaide and Hawks making the finals. Comes down to good coaching and chemistry.

Sydney loves the big preseason announcements, but we'll see.

Shane may be right ...... Bogut might be top heavy and slow for the NBL. LOL.

He's just pointing out the unlevel playing field this current system presents.

Playing Devil's advocate here but why does a divide in competition mean a poor or disappointing league? In the NBA there is only probably 3 teams who can win it all and it is a growing league in both popularity and revenue. Granted the lower NBA teams are in a more stable financial environment than the lower NBL clubs. If Syd, Mel, Bris and Perth are battling it out could they carry the league so the lower sides don't find themselves in financial hardship? I don't necessarily agree with this but it should be given some thought.

Other sports, Golf was at it's peak when Tiger was winning everything. The premier league in the UK realistically has a handful of teams that will have legitimate claims to a title and there is no denying the strength of that league (although relegation gives some genuine interest and meaning at the foot of the ladder).

I agree with him on this one. The league isn't getting any closer.

I agree that the divide is widening and the points system kept the clubs very even. This was at a time when it was necessary to keep interest in the league as high as possible when it was struggling a bit.

The problem with such a system is that it keeps everyone close to the level of the worst financially performing team. Now with money coming in, increased interest and getting rid of salary caps etc the league as a whole is booming. This is partly at the expense of success of the smaller clubs that can't quite keep up but it does push everyone to get better and hence overall an improved product.

People have been saying this every year. I myself have said it at times.

But the proof will be in the pudding. We'll see what happens on the court.

Sydney is the only team who has spent massively. And they've got a very old team, with an unproven coach. So it remains to be seen if they ever reach their upside.

Perth appear to have upgraded their roster but it's unlikely they'll be completely dominant.

I never write off a Bevo team. Brisbane looks to have a competitive roster. Cairns looks a real concern, but you never know.

Welcome to the jungle!

I don't rate Heal as a commentator or analyst so anything he says I just ignore.

LOL. Last few years have shown that spending big means nothing..... shown by Adelaide and Hawks making the finals. Comes down to good coaching and chemistry.

I am extremely intrigued by Cedric Jackson and Brian Conklin this season, so we have a league in which there's a divide between rich and struggling and a struggling team being in 2 league MVPs, one in Cedric that was at two big spending teams and now we wait a few years to get him back for a poor team.

Has Cedric and Conklin peaked already or could the chasing of former great players (league MVP suggests great in my mind) be the way of the future for battlers.

Surely Ervin is past it but could Rotnei return for Illawarra or even Cairns. Could the Huskies go for former league MVP types or will they go for unproven imports

"LOL. Last few years have shown that spending big means nothing..... shown by Adelaide and Hawks making the finals. Comes down to good coaching and chemistry."

You're saying the 6s didn't spend up last season? ROFL

And how long are you going to dine out on the Hawks falling into the finals on the back of Joey losing the plot.

Proud, Jackson was great, no question. Conklin had one very good, consistent year where pretty much all the best players in the league had injuries or form slumps that allowed his consistency to get him the MVP award.

Regardless Paul, my point is that for regional clubs would I be best for them to test out former champion players a few years after they have left, to get eyes on them?

As for Conklin, I was absolutely delighted when he won league MVP as he felt like a true underdog winning that accolade as he got that award from busting his arse as he wasn't the most naturally gifted player and there's no doubt about that... I'd go as far as to say that Clint Steindl is more gifted (has athleticism that people forget he has, beautiful shooting technique, long limbs etc) yet it was Conklin that willed that young team to victory in several games.

"as he got that award from busting his arse"

Unfortunately his arse wasn't the only thing he busted

Cedric Jackson will be interesting. He looked pretty good when the league was at it's worst. Can he cut it with the current crop of talent?

I wouldn't say that basketball was it it's worst when Cedric was at his best, it just resembled rugby with all the holding on and pushing under the basket... and our best player in the league (Jackson) air balled free throws (I think it was 3 times if not more).

Neither are a good look