Tbh for me the biggest gripe and failure of the 36ers this year is that they've provided minimal reason to be optimistic or hopeful for next year, particularly once they couldn’t make the top 4.

Effort hasn’t been there.

Even start to look at DJ and say sure you’re good on offence and consistent but are you a winner? Do you score when it’s needed, do you not go missing for extended periods, do you make effort defensive plays when it counts?

BPaul - are you a player that could go far next year or have you maxed out where you are now? Do you care enough?

I didn’t have Adelaide competing for the 4 this year, and they stuffed up the import stuff at the start which wrote them off a bit.

Optimism through Humphries/Giddey was tarnished a bit by injury and at least one of them not returning next year. Hopefully they do have IH return next year.

This is the last game for the players to show something to say we are on a good track for next year. Who’s going to show it?

I'm looking forward to this for 2 reasons

Adelaide has a few weapons, DJ can light it up as could Paul. They'll be playing with relatively few inhibitions

Secondly United might spread the minutes even more so than usual, so we'll see everybody getting a good run

LK will deliver a win for Melbourne no doubt

Melbourne starting their bench, shouldn't make much difference their bench is better than some starting lineups.

United by 9

Looks bizarre seeing this colour scheme in Adelaide.

The Tony Crocker Show!

Let's leave the white jersey requirement with the 20/21 season.

It’s crap.

I'm not normally a fan of white jerseys but I think ours look pretty classy tbh.

So disorienting

They did the same thing in Sydney they had United's home court set up too.

As white jerseys go Adelaides is certainly a better one.

I long for the yellow/gold days (not banana yellow like they produced this year)

I prefer this white one with the faint blue pin stripes and gold trim looks good.

Yep, lol.

Talk about the team = be disappointed and aggravated

No

Reckon Gaze will ever stop talking about Josh Giddey?

*game

He's the best we've got and I love listening him but he is incredibly biased towards his friends kids and anything Melbourne related really.

I'm not having a go at him I love him but the Cadee carry on gets quite sickening.

Are these refs insane?

Being a United home game I suppose they had to give them some good home cooking.

Not a great finish to season. Perfect set up to get an upset win. Taking down top team - an away game with everything in our favour. Come on Sixers. Big biggly biggest finish. Do f o r pride.... build four next season with optimism... do something....

Hopefully we start bringing DJ off the bench next season all our defensive issues and heartless efforts start with him. Won't happen though.

Head it to Perth.

Hopson described United as road warriors.

Not a lot of self awareness there.

Crowd: 1,817

They really should've let members in for free or something.

Hope the highlights aren't indicative of the 36ers' effort in that game. Pretty embarrassing at times.

I used to think you could balance DJ with a defensive frontcourt partner but not sure that's enough any longer. No idea what his contract situation is like, but I wouldn't be over-offering from here on.

I wouldn't bring back Paul.

In a completely meaningless game, why wouldn't you put 10+ minutes into your prospects? Mudronja and Hulland each got a couple of minutes and that was it.

No idea what his contract situation is like, but I wouldn't be over-offering from here on.

I wouldn't bring back Paul.

In a completely meaningless game, why wouldn't you put 10+ minutes into your prospects? Mudronja and Hulland each got a couple of minutes and that was it.

So let the members in who have already paid for their tickets in for free. Huh?

I used to think you could balance DJ with a defensive frontcourt partner but not sure that's enough any longer. No idea what his contract situation is like, but I wouldn't be over-offering from here on.

I believe he has one year left from memory.

The Adelaide 36ers have extended five-time club MVP Daniel Johnson a new three-year deal, which will see the star centre remain in Adelaide until the end of the 2022-23 season.

Ok.

How long would DJ last in a program run by Goorjian?

So who do you keep for next season?

DJ on contract.
Humphries showing some class, if not durability.
McVeigh significantly improved.
Who else?

The commentary team did a great job of muddying the waters around Humphries contract status! Is it a team option or a player option next season?

How long would DJ last in a program run by Goorjian?

It would be interesting to see DJ under a Goorjian or Gleeson.

One of the higher levels he's played at was in Poland for a EuroLeague club and he got benched rapidly and ultimately released.

The commentary team did a great job of muddying the waters around Humphries contract status! Is it a team option or a player option next season?

I should add when Adam Doyle signed his last contract with the 36ers it was a 3 year deal, the final year being a 'mutual option'. He was released 2 years into that deal and never played in the NBL again.

That suggests a mutual option is more a team option than a player option as I highly doubt Doyle chose to end his NBL career a year early.

I should add when Adam Doyle signed his last contract with the 36ers it was a 3 year deal, the final year being a 'mutual option'. He was released 2 years into that deal and never played in the NBL again.

That suggests a mutual option is more a team option than a player option as I highly doubt Doyle chose to end his NBL career a year early.

Clear as mud! Thanks Zodiac!

I hope Isaac is keen to stay in Adelaide, as there is very little else to get excited about!

Enjoyed watching this game.

Playoffs ahead but there's not too many games left. Next years United team likely very different

Landale probably in Europe.

McCarron and JLA great seasons and will have plenty of offers.

Barlow turning 38, would be welcome again but may hang em up.

Hopson who knows.

If they stay healthy, feeling confident.

Biggest threat would be a semi final series vs SEM, where it's feasible the Phoenix could shoot the lights out 2 times in 3 games.

Not worried about Hawks or Perth without Cotton. The 2 best coaches in NBL history perhaps, but United has owned both teams.

I think we've won 5 of the past 6 vs Perth including the last 3 in Perth, and the only loss was when missing CG43 and Ili from memory. Magnay hasn't been what they hoped, plus Mooney seems to be struggling to have the same impact with a slightly different role.

A healthy United will sweep Perth.

But a series vs SEM could get interesting

Sorry correction- 5 of last 7 vs Perth including last 3 in Perth

The other loss was in Melbourne with a full strength team (sans Jack White) where Perth made United look really dysfunctional, and United coughed it up 18 times

Guess Perth is elite defensively even without Cotton.

But I doubt United could play that badly more than once in a best of 5

" I used to think you could balance DJ with a defensive frontcourt partner but not sure that's enough any longer."

Yeah I agree.

We want Humphries back, and Pinder if he plays smart in a confined backup role is as good as any really. They have Sotto, so that would put Adelaide in a sort of crappy position when it comes to defending the paint.

Adelaide could keep Paul and McVeigh with Dech and back their length to disrupt passing into the bigs and double team low.

I don't think continuity is necessarily a bad thing for this squad. If you have an import replace Giddey, have Crocker coming off the bench as a shooter and add either Rigoni or Isaac White as another shooter, they might have have a decent combination of shooting, defensive length and quality bigs. If IH stays at Adelaide and stays healthy.

It’s not an overhaul and a lot of reliance on IH and Giddeys replacement but I don’t think it would necessarily work out as badly as this year did.

My understanding of "mutual options" would be that either side could terminate the contract WITHOUT ANY FINANCIAL penalties (buy-outs, etc) required. Think of Mitch Creek and Corey Webster situations. And even the Magnay saga.

If a player breaks a contract someone has to compensate the club. If the club breaks the contract, they have to compensate the player.

In a mutual option, I believe that either can not-take-up-the-option with no penalties.

For lack of any "continued contract" benefits, sounds rather useless!