Bye bye finals Adelaide!

I guess it stops people from clamouring for a replacement to be signed.

Underwhelming.

Joey would be a moron if he plays Sobey under 35 mins and give minutes to Bruce and/or Doyle. Kiss your finals chances goodbye.

I don't think Adelaide were going to make the finals anyway.

Well that is exciting news, sure to flood ticketing for home games - NOT. I assume it is a decision based on available $$ combined with the limited time available to qualify for the finals.

Whats the difference between Adam Doyle and Shaun Bruce???

6 inches

Oh look, another cheapout. Sorry Sixers fans.

2015-17, Bruce was useful for Cairns and Brisbane, but then dropped away in 2017-18. Not sure if that was on him or more coach/roster. Shooting percentages have never been great. He's never had a FG% above 40% for example.

Probably doesn't need to shoot with the roster around him, but the 36ers need too many things to go right for this to all work out. Need more from DJ, Drmic and Deng to fire in their minutes, Wiley to remember plays, etc.

First two games of this round will be interesting. By Saturday afternoon, 10-10 Adelaide will have faced 12-8 Perth and 13-7 Sydney. Could be barely out of third.

Lol good answer Big Sexy! I guess this ends the conspiracy theories that Moore was shut down to allow the Sixers to sign a star import point guard.

Doesn't move the needle much, but not much they can do with only a few days left to sign someone.

The positive side of this is that Drmic should get more minutes at the 2 to develop his game. Would be nice if Joey drew up a few plays to get him better looks too, but I'm not holding my breath!

Was Aaron not available?

Wow Brucey will have to drive his MG past Hungry Jack's wearing his First Ever gear to the Chemist Warehouse and buy some angry pills to fit into Joey's squad!

He's not even the best point guard in his family.

"Joey would be a moron if he plays Sobey under 35 mins and give minutes to Bruce and/or Doyle. Kiss your finals chances goodbye."

Not if he cant buy a bucket and turns the ball over way too many times, as he has shown a couple times this season.

Add in Sydney not replacing Wear and Brisbane bringing in an average player. Clubs aren't spending for three stars - perhaps it's time to go back to two imports per team.

Perthworld actually makes sense in reply #728503.
Three imports is rewarding mediocrity I reckon.

The comments regarding whether the 3rd import spot should be axed is really worth thinking about.

Most 3rd imports could be replaced by locals IMHO. Being a banana bender, I follow the QBL closley. In all honesty, there are several players in that comp alone who could fill the few 3rd imports we are talking, 9 in all. Not saying that QBL fill those 9 spots. But you have (ex)SEABL players and, of course, the other state leagues.

I admit that I am taken by the :hoopla: round imports, but reality is that Aussies could fill those rolls adequately. The 3rd import is no longer raising the general standards ...yadda yadda! And, I am not just being all lovey dovey for Aussies. It makes sense. Certainly sensible line of thought.

PS. May even free up some $$$$ to offer Aussies chasing those same dollars O/seas.

PPS. Why are "our" European based players not being offered those roles, for eg? Is it that they get even more than 3rd imports here?

If Bruce is the best "spare" Aussie around, how in the hell are the Phoenix going to find 8 Aussies?

PPS. Why are "our" European based players not being offered those roles, for eg? Is it that they get even more than 3rd imports here?

I'm fine with 2 imports, I'm just not sure it will have the intended effect. Isaac's point re: 3rd imports and their wages is a good one, and I think with the Shaun Bruces of the league at that spot the money will start to dry up, and I think it's more likely teams will carry development player-level guys rather than fork out more cash for a Bruce on the end of the bench, who will probably be wanting to earn more playing ball than he could get doing whatever else he is qualified to do for a living. More teams is the better solution, which we are on track for (assuming no teams fold...).

Saving $$$s on Bruce was a great first step, but if the club is really serious about tanking this season, we need to run Teys more.


Do it for the draft picks.

Wilson at the Kings is possibly an example of circumstance (Adnam) rather than import, but he had a strong off-season and I was expecting him to get solid minutes. The extra team will absolute provide more opportunities.

I've said it a few times, but I'd peg the third import to some requirement such as having played SEABL/similar in the recent off-season. Or a Next Gen/Star/whatever player uses a third import spot.

Agreed Isaac.

Let the 3rd import be a 'local' import who has played atleast 20 games in Aus/NZ somewhere before, they will be cheap and will be keen for a shot, and sometimes you will find a Conklin, Redhage type too.

I also would get rid of the next stars program, talent wise the NBL would be better off giving teams the extra 100k toe either top up their star imports salary to help retain them, or to spend the 100k on the best import under 23 or straight out of college they can find, we would potentially get more Rotnei Clarkes, Kevin Lisch, Torrey Craig, Scottie Wilbekin types for a season, and even if we dont, they will likely sign a guy better than Ferguson or Bowen.

I just don't see the reasoning behind a third import supposedly keeping good locals out of the league. As it is right now every team has 1 or 2 locals on their rosters who aren't NBL standard players.

Adelaide - Adam Doyle
Perth - Rhys Vague
Cairns - Mitch Young
Brisbane - Makoto Hiejima (replaced by import)
Sydney - Tom Wilson, Deng Acouth (replaced by import)
Illawarra - Marshall Nelson, Kevin White (possibly)
Melbourne - Dan Trist, Tohi Smith-Milner (possibly)
New Zealand - Jordan Mgatai, Majok Majok (possibly)

With the league expanding next season there will be opportunities for a further 8 locals most of which weren't deemed NBL standard by teams this season.

Big call on Trist, IMO. I think he's NBL standard from glimpses I've seen, just not what United need at the moment. Throw him on the Taipans and he's scoring in double digits I think... probably giving up double digits too, sure, but not alone there.

Wilson was getting spot minutes pre-injury, but that well and truly pushed him out of the rotation. Hard to say if he's NBL standard or not but he had some decent showings pre-season.

Dan Trist is probably the most disappointing on Zodiacs list. While some others are clearly minimum salary guys.

Not many of the third imports playing NBL make a real impact.

For those who think 3rd imports dont work

What Aussie who currently isnt in the NBL or playing professionally elsewhere , i.e currently available could come in on a minimal salary and do better than most 3rd imports


ie Ramone Moore, Jeremy Kendle, Devon Hall, DJ Kennedy, Ray Turner, Cedric Jackson, A Moore this season

Apart from Kennedy at Melbourne and maybe Hall and Jackson, most of these guys would be on cheap deals.

Like i get that some of those imports are not very good but still there isnt an Aussie missing out on pro basketball who could come in and do better

For example, Cooke got bagged at Perth last year, but he is still better than Jervis, Hire, Vague from this years team.

Admission. Replies to my comments asked which locals are good enough to rplace 3rd imports.

Well, I had a look. Went to seasons stats and tried to find some possibilities.

Got to admit, found no-one better.

A couple who may be just about good enough, so in other words, sorry, was wrong about QBL.

Some damn good imports though who may slip into that other qualification re already playing here. Wonder why Bozeman is never spoken about.

Yea exactly, there are some imports there that would be better than some Aussies in the NBL.

From a talent perspective i am all for allowing more imports not less,

I wonder if they say should go 4 imports, but 1 of them has to have played atleast 20 games in NZ NBL, Aussie State league (QBL, SEABL, etc)

Essentially replacing the 11th men on rosters with an import, for the same money, which is without a doubt a talent upgrade, assuming teams can identify correctly who the best imports from NZ, QBL, etc are.