Don't write them off just yet, but you are correct in most of your points:

Farley only tried to play proper D in the last quarter.
You would expect your imports to be playing maximum minutes.
I have never seen Willy and Brett on the bench at the same time until tonight.
I bet Dusty would have been spewing when he saw his man was Eversteyn. Damn that is a big unit.

I wasn't at the game tonight, but I think it unfair to say Dusty is not fit, not knowing the full story. I wouldn't mind betting there is an underlying injury or illness.

They should sign me!

I'd like to see Nick Hambour get a run too.

Crowd was 4069 for those who are interested.

Surprised how small the crowd was, but I guess after last week's performance it's no surprise. Who wants to go see a team where the star 2-guard import doesn't fight under or over an on-ball screen on the wing against CJ when down by 15 in the last quarter. Or can't even step in front of the fattest two-guard in the league when turning the corner.

A team where players decide that boxing out (yes boxing out includes boxing the shooter) on foul shots should be an after-thought, and playing help defence or recovering when beaten by your man off the dribble is a novelty.

I don't mind losing with a less talented team that gives close to 100% every night, but it's killing me watching this team who right now just seem to be showing up collecting pay-checks and going home. It's also painful to watch the switching defence this year create miss-matches. Even if the group gets it together offensively a team running a switching defence doesn't have much of a chance to beat the likes of Sydney or Brisbane who have a lot of 1 on 1 players who can spread the floor and create against weak defensive players, (like Oscar who struggles containing guys off the dribble or Farley who just doesn't play defence).

Last night I felt sorry for the people working behind the scenes to get people to the game. When the quality of ball played is so bad it really makes it hard to convince people to come back. The fact that some of the players looked disinterested last week in the biggest game of the season has really hurt the momentum that the club had with bigger crowds. If the players don't seemed interested in playing hard, people won't be interested in parting with their cash to watch them.

At the end of the game when the team turned to thank the crowd I can't remember seeing so many empty seats in the north and south season ticket holder areas (where people tend to stay to the end no matter what) which I think is totally appropriate.

Even taking into account Adelaide being in the top four, I think this is the worst basketball I've seen from an Adelaide team since 1997, (a team which also was in the top four for a good part of the season). I'll be there in the same seat every game, still trying to get others new to the sport to come along. Hopefully the players between now and new years will start to get on the same page as well.

Well said DC - I agree with all your points. It seems to me the team just seems flat and not enjoying the game at the moment - why? I have no idea. Go back a few years to when we were at our peak and it seemed like everyone was out there just enjoying themselves and having fun, and the results followed. Now it apperas that we are just going through the motions. Not sure how we get that 'fun' back into the game - maybe a bit of time out over christmas will re energise the guys, or maybe they just need to get away together and get on the piss and bring the fun back into the team! Whatever the answer lets hope they find it soon!

cmon leave the team alone. they are just doin fine. the guys have been workin hard and doing ther best. dusty is abit stressed a the moment so get off his back. farley is in abit of a hole a the moment but he will pull through.

SO ALL BACK OFF

Youre right. 5 minutes worth of defense out of 48 wont get you wins.

I took friends along to the game, and was then out and out embarrassed about it. I had to apologise at the end of the evening for the appauling display that they witnessed.

The only good thing in the whole evening was watching the guts and determination of an under-talented under-manned side like Hunter with their backs to the wall playing with true passion. Basketball like the Sixers once used to play - when they were worth the entry price for the ticket.

I would prefer to watch a struggling side lose every game knowing they are trying their hardest than the obviously talented but listless, unenergetic, lazy and overly-contented performances of individuals just dialing in the performance.

I don't suppose 'professional' players are allowed to be tired after playing in Wollongong the night before and haveing to travel and front up in less than 24 hours!
None of all you critics would be tired at all after that either I suppose?
NOT!!

Sure!

So Dana, were they tired when they didn't show up to play in Brisbane, against Sydney (when Sydney were coming off a game the night before) or in Wollongong?

DC,
Brisbane were desperate & getting 3 pointers from the carpark, Wollongong game was very close, and let's face it...Sydney played hard. Sixers definitely looked tired against Hunter. Maher looked like he'd had it. He was obviously frustrated with himself when he knuckled his head on the way to the bench after some uncharacteristic T/O's of his own.
I guess I just see them as humans afterall, even if they are professionals.
Sure the game was not fun to watch, but I get annoyed when 'fans' turn on them when they are going through a bad patch. At least it's not final yet. Let's hope they get themselves out of this rut they're in.

Dana,

Firstly others and I are not "turning" against the players. I don't see how by staying to the end of the game, wearing their jersey everywhere, convincing others to come to the game, handing out 2 for 1 vouchers etc is turning against the players and the club. It's just when you put so much energy into the 36ers experience as a fan you at least want to see 100% effort from the players on the court and currently that isn't occurring.

It's just perfect ably acceptable to be angry when you watch a team lose who you pay $300 a year to watch by not executing the fundamentals of the game. Players on the team realise this themselves, and will probably tell you the exact same points that have been stated on this forum.

Now as for the Brisbane game, the guys didn't show up to play. No excuses. The Bullets weren't hot, and weren't playing desperately jumping out of bounds for lose balls. Adelaide just was pathetic. Not getting back in transition D on their own scores. Beaten by head fakes and cutters roaming into the key with no help D in sight. Not fighting thru screens and not showing hands to shooters. The number one way to help a player get hot who is down on confidence is by not putting any pressure on their shot. I don't think I've ever seen worst defence in the NBL. By the way, how does being tired stop you from boxing out on a Mark Bradtke foul shot 1 minute into the game? If they are tired then, and don't have the energy to slide across, maybe it's time to lay off the pizza.

The Wollongong game I was talking about we lost by a good 20 points or so. As for the Sydney game, Farley's last quarter effort on the on ball screen against CJ was a disgrace. 15 down, in front of the biggest crowd on the season, CJ is stroking the 3 ball, Farley doesn't go over or under the screen but rather just stands behind Worthington and doesn't fight thru either side. Teams watch game tapes, they see this effort level and will begin to attack it constantly and it's only going to cost us more games in the future if the unit doesn't address it now.

The most disappointing thing right now is that it's that anyone who went to basketball for the first time the other night would never be coming back again.

The fans on here aren't turning on the players. Rather watching how the team is playing help D, rotating, boxing out, fighting thru screens, moving off the ball, or rather not doing any of it, it seems like they are turning on each other and throwing their season down the drain.