Where to start?!

Was there a point?

Basketball team owners aren't in the business of making expensive gambles. Proving yourself in this particular league definitely gives you an edge, and it should do. But don't you worry, there will be plenty of brand new imports next year. Every team has at least one or two imports who didn't perform and therefore won't be coming back. But signing known quantities as quick as you can makes perfect sense.

Guys you wont see back -

Boone
The imports from New Zealand not named Shaun Long
Demetrius Conger (unless maybe as a budget import. He severely lowered his stock)
David Wear (and Sydney will probably go for 3 imports this year)
Devon Hall
DJ Newbill probably wouldn't re-sign
Any import from Brisbane not named Lamar Patterson
All the imports from Illawarra will be gone
Wouldn't surprise me if Jerome Randle wasn't back in the league either

So basically, you're going to get plenty of new imports.

Let me see. Greer, with all his NBL experience, up against D2.0. How will we choose.

One thing to consider with Wesley is they can sign him now. Imports in that price bracket are not only a gamble, but may not be signing deals at this point in the year. The Phoenix need to start building a roster to attract more talent without paying a premium. What's an easier sell - "So, Mitch is no guarantee but we've got Ben Madgen aged 34, and we'll get some imports obviously" versus "Mitch is no guarantee but we've got Ben Madgen and Tai Wesley is a proven performer." They would've known about Gibbo a bit in advance so it's a good starting point to have 12x4x sorted if you fall back to Gibbo starting in a pinch..

Wesley's scoring average was 10th in the league, going by Spatial Jam. Restricting to imports, 8th. And that's in less minutes than all but Shawn Long ahead of him.

If a spud team like Cairns can go out, year after year, and find talented imports, then why can't teams who actually have a budget for scouting?

They had one talented import, one mid-range import and one guy that shot under 37% and didn't crack double figures. They also came last, by some margin too.

Didn't Greg Hire volunteer to give up his spot during the season for a third import, but the Cats declined and won the championship? With a retiring Greg Hire over a random fresh import? Effort every minute he's on the court. No drama on the bench. Knows the players of the league and their tendencies.

There are countless locals I'd take over an import gamble if it came to it.

The import pool is broad and flexible, but the bulk of it is guys like Showron Glover.

I'm not dishing Greer, not the decision to sign Wesley.
It was simply the comment attributed to him that I had issue with.

As the title was meant to suggest (but perhaps not clearly) my point is that having multiple teams chasing the same guy, is pointless and counterproductive.

Of course you take a gamble. SOMEBODY has to.

Are you seriously suggesting there weren't better options out there than Holt? He was no good the first year back, yet thy brought him back again because of this false reasoning. "Oh he knows the system."

Every great import we've ever had in this league was at one time unproven and untested. Should we have left them ALL in America??

Ware is close to the best player in the League. Melbourne will offer him a decent chunk to stay. Is it really wise to outbid them?

But I'll come back to your question, of me or Tommy Greer. The difference is that I would take a gamble on fresh (properly scouted) talent, whereas guys in his position are trapped into making safe decisions.
If he hires Ware, even at some awful premium that threatens the whole viability of the new franchise, he'll be applauded for the safe move.
But if he tries to unearth "another Ware" and fails, he'll be pilloried.

And let me ask this.
We know that both Cairns and Illawarra have limited budgets. So who do you think cost more? Trimble the unproven or Jackson the former MVP?

Now that said, part of what I'm having a crack at, is the obsession some posters have, with the notion of constantly going back to the same tiny pool of imports, fuelled n my rumours from Boti & co. It's the same very off-season: "Club X, should get player Y, where Y is a current or recently departed import at another club."
Sure, Perth may now go for a big imported Centre, but it doesn't HAVE to be Shawn Long.

I agree with a lot of what you're saying D2.0 especially when it comes to the richer clubs getting imports that are just wrong for team balance of just flat out suck.

I was a huge Conger fan when he was at Illawarra but boy did his tenure at 36ers not do his legacy any favours. Kinda want him back in the league to prove his worth. Also he is proof that Joey can't always get the best out of his players.

In the NBA there is forever talk about the greatness of a certain player after they become a 2x all star (it seems) and comparing them to greats within their club and then amongst others all time. In the NBL we don't have the luxury of seeing players break many records these days so I think part of the lure of bringing back the great imports is hoping they have careers like Loggins, Rose, Fisher, Crawford, Bruton, Grace, Copeland, Rucker etc... and very few will even be in the same discussion.

I started a thread once the 40th anniversary team was announced and asked what someone like Bryce Cotton needed to make the 50th anniversary team and the responses I got back was that it would be almost impossible for him to be in that team and he'd have to play for practically the whole next decade. He's an absolute champion undoubtedly but he still isn't in that conversation... but every team would do practically anything to find that NBA caliber import that loves Australia/NZ and keeps playing and may want to naturalise and that is a massive reason why we want to nab oppositions' known quantities rather than take a risk again.

Conger is an athlete, but I think his worst tendencies were magnified in that Sixers squad. Felt like he needed to make an impact every second he was on the court and I remember a few games in particular where he was pivotal in a massive change in momentum for the worst with forced shots and bad possessions leading to runs for the other team.

He's NBL quality, but to me it feels like he might be in the high usage/medium-low efficency category.

Greer/Phoenix strategy at this stage looks like it's based on "better the devil you know"

Gibson and Creek are two of the most experienced NBL players going around, Creek with 8 or 9 seasons and Gibson 12 or 13. Wesley and Madgen are proven quantities.

They need an elite import, of the Cotton/Ware ilk. And obviously they need Creek to actually play. Then a couple more role players to fill the gaps. They're coming together nicely.

The whole thing depends on Creek though. He could make or break season one.