Aussie Basketball Discussion

[Kenny]

Nice pick up for the Kings, particularly since it doesn't take up an import spot. Is Darnell Lazare returning for them next season? It'll be a nice combination if he does.

[koberulz]

The current word is no, but nothing's official yet.

If anyone has any money they're not using: http://www.savethecrocs.com

[koberulz]

NBL could be extinct in next 2-3 years if they cannot think of a way to save the league.

On the other hand:

[Andrew]

That's encouraging, but I'm guessing it's not exactly commonplace if we have teams folding.

[koberulz]

True. There were 9,330 at Vector Arena for game one, which was a sell-out, and 13,527 at Perth Arena for game two, which was not only a sellout but required opening up an extra tier of around 1000 seats. Vector also sold out for a regular-season game against the Wildcats, and Perth Arena sold out (minus the extra tier) for a regular-season game against the Breakers.

Turns out good teams are popular. None of the other teams have attendances even close to that, although Sydney and Adelaide are the only ones with home venues that side of 8,000. Melbourne did play a few games at Hisense, but could only draw around 5,500.

With that said, there's a lot other clubs can do that the Wildcats are doing, off the court, to increase attendance. The Tigers put a lot of work into marketing and increased their fanbase significantly, and were aiming to move to Hisense permanently and try and beat the Wildcats membership count of 8,300, although that seems to have been put on hold.

Townsville aren't dead yet, and things are apparently looking good for the shift to the community model (identical to Cairns, who've posted two straight seasons of profit), which leaves Gold Coast as the only club to fold since the re-structuring of the league in 2009. Sydney have also been added in that time. Gold Coast folded not because they were doing poorly--although, as with all Gold Coast sporting franchises, they weren't doing great--but because the owners suddenly decided to stop supporting the team.

The Blaze sacked Brendan Joyce a few years back, as Brendan was more interested in getting his son court time than anything to do with anything else. They refused to pay out his contract, so Joyce took them to court. And won. Then, completely coincidentally, the Blaze went into administration. Negotiations were had with BA in order to try and keep them in the league, but when BA insisted that they know who the Blaze's anonymous $1M donation came from (perfectly fine with not publicising the name) and that the Blaze prove that they weren't going to immediately collapse a year later, the owners said that BA clearly wasn't interested in having them in the league, took their ball and went home.

Essentially, the Blaze folded because the Tomlinsons didn't want to pay Brendan Joyce the money they owed him. Them being dicks says nothing about the health of the league.

[koberulz]

And on the marketing vs success point (I figure after more than 12 hours a double post is okay, given that most would've read my last post by now): The Wildcats don't leave red shirts on the seats, they just tell people to wear red. Every single red shirt in that photo is being worn by someone who put it on before they left home, or bought it at the merch stand before the game. There were 13,527 there on Friday night, and maybe 2000 of them weren't in red. Considering that there were quite a few Breakers fans in attendance, that's phenomenal.


EDIT: Meanwhile, in Perth, three grand finals in four years (the other year being a semi finals appearance mere seconds away from becoming a grand final appearance minus Shawn Redhage) is apparently not enough to allow coach Rob Beveridge to hold onto his job.

[koberulz]

Andrej Lemanis will tomorrow be announced as head coach of the Boomers. Breakers assistant Dean Vickerman will take over as head coach.

[koberulz]

http://www.basketball.net.au/index.php?id=302&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=2869&tx_ttnews[backPid]=1&cHash=4984b11f5f

[koberulz]

NBL and BA to explore de-merger

Boti Nagy has a couple of blogs on the subject:
http://www.botinagy.com/blog/the-new-nb ... -it-means/
http://www.botinagy.com/blog/independen ... way-to-go/

And on the Crocs:
http://www.botinagy.com/blog/forget-any ... e-rolling/

[koberulz]

Now that BA is out of the picture, a Wellington team seems a possibility.

[Mark.]

Man I would love that. Epic.

[koberulz]

Andrew Gaze to be inducted into FIBA hall of fame: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/and ... 6651982046

[Kenny]

Pretty much a no-brainer for me. He's basically the personification of Australian basketball. Much like Magic Johnson, I liked him as a player, but not so much as an analyst. Although, I would take him over Magic any day of the week in the latter.

[Andrew]

Agreed, well deserved. For me, it's a toss-up as to whether I'd take him or Magic as an analyst though. That's a very tough call.

[koberulz]

Rob Beveridge and Kevin Lisch have both officially parted ways with the Wildcats.

[koberulz]

And on that subject: the Wildcats have more NBL titles than any other team in the league (unless you count the Pumas ('79, '80), Magic ('92, '96), and Giants ('89, '94) all as one team), and haven't missed the playoffs since 1986. In that time, no coach has won multiple championships, although four of their five grand final coaches have made at least one other grand final appearance (Bruton lost in '87 and won in '90, Arnold won in '91, Hurley lost in '93 and won in '95, Black won in '00 and lost in' 03, Beveridge won in '10 and lost in '12 and '13). No coach has lasted longer than six years, and only one even lasted that long (Black, '98-'03). Two coaches have been released immediately after making the grand final (Bruton after winning in '90, Black after losing in '03). Depending on whose side of the story you believe, Beveridge may be the third after making the grand final this year and being forced out. All the on-the-record statements say it's completely Bevo's choice and the Wildcats would love to have him back, but pretty much anyone with any sort of insider info says Bevo was pushed.

Since 1986, there have been a total of eight coaches, with two getting a second stab at it:
Cal Bruton 1987-88
Alan Black 1989, first two games of 1990 (yes, he was fired two games into the season. The Wildcats were 1-1)
Cal Bruton 1990
Murray Arnold 1991-1992
Adrian Hurley 1993-1997
Alan Black 1998-2003
Mike Ellis 2004
Scott Fisher 2005-2008
Conner Henry 2009
Rob Beveridge 2010-2013

That's a coaching change every three years on average, without ever missing the playoffs (in case you were wondering (which you weren't), prior to that were Henry Daigle 1982, Gordon Ellis 1983, Lyn Massey 1984, Jay Brehmer 1985-86).

Being a coach sucks.

[The X]

Looks like Luc Longley has given Phil Jackson some Perth Wildcats' apparel.

[koberulz]

The Boomers are playing China in a four-game series next week. Two games in Perth (one at the 12000-seat Perth Arena, one at the 3000-seat WA Basketball Centre, which is just weird), two games in China. All are on LIveSport.tv, NBL.TV and Fox Sports:

Sino-Australia Challenge broadcast schedule (All broadcast times AEST – all tip-off times local):

Game 1
Friday 7 June @ Perth Arena
Tip-off: 6:30pm (local time)
Online: 8:30pm (AEST) LIVE on LiveSport.TV
TV: 8:30am (AEST) Saturday 8 June on Fox Sports 3 (delayed)

Game 2
Sunday 9 June @ WA Basketball Centre
Tip-off: 2:00pm
Online: 4:00pm LIVE on LiveSport.TV
TV: 4:00pm LIVE on Fox Sports 2

Game 3
Wednesday 12 June @ Tianjin City
Tip-off: 7:30pm
Online: 9:30pm LIVE on LiveSport.TV
TV: 9:30pm LIVE on Fox Sports 2

Game 4
Friday 14 June @ Yongcheng City
Tip-off: 7:30pm
Online: 9:30pm LIVE on LiveSport.TV
TV: 9:30pm LIVE on Fox Sports 1

http://www.basketball.net.au/index.php?id=302&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=2912&tx_ttnews[backPid]=1&cHash=f7cc88b9c3

[Andrew]

Lot of basketball to catch over the next few weeks. Andrew Bogut is being featured on Aussies Abroad on ESPN at 9 PM AEST tonight as well.

[koberulz]

A very empty Perth Arena for game one. Well over half the seats were curtained off, and only about half the remaining seats were filled.

Perth Arena's horrendously tight rims (Rhys Carter says they're by far the worst he's ever played on) completely ruined what should have been a good game.

[koberulz]

NBC pulls out of de-merged NBL

[Kenny]

Dellavedova gets a shot with the Magic in the Summer League.

I'm kind of surprised that he didn't get drafted somewhere in the late second round, but nonetheless, it's good to see him at least get a tryout for an NBA team.

[Andrew]

Agreed, best of luck to him. As always, it'd be nice to see some more Aussies make it to the league and also get into the rotation somewhere, but at least Bogut's starting to look healthy again.

[Kenny]

Old mate Jingles is receiving interest as well.

Not really a big fan of Joe Ingles, but on his day he's a very talented player.

[Andrew]

I'm sure we can support any Aussies who make it to the NBA, even grudgingly.