What is going wrong with the NBL?

[hirdy_is_champ]

I have no interest in basketball so please excuse me if I'm butting in, but have the Basketball Australia ever considered setting up something like the trans-tasman netball league? That seems to be going well with the state/province based teams. I realise the netball situation is a bit different in terms of that league being the only real viable option for talented players, but I can't see why a similar basketball league wouldn't do ok considering the sport's junior participation levels. IMO it would be good because you wouldn't have to spread the "talent" so far, but you'd still have enough for healthy competition.
Anyway, just my two cents

 

[neroblack]

I have no interest in basketball so please excuse me if I'm butting in, but have the Basketball Australia ever considered setting up something like the trans-tasman netball league? That seems to be going well with the state/province based teams. I realise the netball situation is a bit different in terms of that league being the only real viable option for talented players, but I can't see why a similar basketball league wouldn't do ok considering the sports junior participation levels. IMO it would be good because you wouldn't have to spread the "talent" so far, but you'd still have enough for healthy competition.
Anyway, just my two cents

That is kind of how it is now. It's part of the reason why the Dragons are not around any more (from memory..). There's one team in NZ, maybe there could be two?

 

[Upgrayedd]

I have no interest in basketball so please excuse me if I'm butting in, but have the Basketball Australia ever considered setting up something like the trans-tasman netball league? That seems to be going well with the state/province based teams. I realise the netball situation is a bit different in terms of that league being the only real viable option for talented players, but I can't see why a similar basketball league wouldn't do ok considering the sport's junior participation levels. IMO it would be good because you wouldn't have to spread the "talent" so far, but you'd still have enough for healthy competition.
Anyway, just my two cents

We just had New Zealand win a 3-peat, so they do alright

we had a singapore team which did not last a season. Plus a lot of players do have other jobs (Redhage is also an accountant) so giant road-trips are a big hassle and cant be really done)

New Zealand also have a basketball league, it might be worth merging them but both leagues would rather avoid it TBO, Looking at it it would be the Australians taking two teams from NZ and gutting the league

 

[Heardy_101]

That is kind of how it is now. It's part of the reason why the Dragons are not around any more (from memory..). There's one team in NZ, maybe there could be two?

Dragons left because they thought the League wasn't viable. Melbourne *almost* followed, I will add as well. When the League "folded" and "came back", it was coming close to only have 6 teams. Yes, six.

 

[Heardy_101]

Joey Wright to be named as the Adelaide 36ers new coach:

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport...e-adelaide-36ers/story-fne5r4t9-1226631894199

 

[UpForGrabs]

Unless my eyes deceive me - we've gone 4 pages in this thread and no-one's brought up the ridiculous introduction of 10-minute quarters.

Who the hell thought that we, as a paying and viewing audience would want to see games finish 70-62? One of the worst decisions in Aussie sports history. Australians took forever to warm to soccer with its low scoring, and even now it's still a struggle when up against the 'traditional' footy codes.

Other than that... there's no TV presence. Now, I understand that there won't be a presence until the league is more marketable, and that the league isn't more marketable without a TV presence (the vicious circle). Other than diehards, who can name a player from each team or half the teams even? Any kid growing up in the late 80s and early 90s knew he Andrew Gaze was. They knew Ricky Grace.

 

[Oneiros]

Unless my eyes deceive me - we've gone 4 pages in this thread and no-one's brought up the ridiculous introduction of 10-minute quarters.

Who the hell thought that we, as a paying and viewing audience would want to see games finish 70-62? One of the worst decisions in Aussie sports history. Australians took forever to warm to soccer with its low scoring, and even now it's still a struggle when up against the 'traditional' footy codes.

Other than that... there's no TV presence. Now, I understand that there won't be a presence until the league is more marketable, and that the league isn't more marketable without a TV presence (the vicious circle). Other than diehards, who can name a player from each team or half the teams even? Any kid growing up in the late 80s and early 90s knew he Andrew Gaze was. They knew Ricky Grace.

Done for Olympic training purposes, hence my comment about the NBL going the way of the Australian field Hockey League, all about development, not entertainment and sport.

 

[peternorth]

even if games went 48 mins would teams be hitting the 100 pt mark with ease?

 

[nufan]

I have a mate who works quite high up the the VBL. Originally they had a plan to do the A league formula take a season and a half off and come back new re branding, teams etc. They just pulled the trigger and started the season to early (3-ish years ago) I'll pick his brain more about it and get back to you guys.
I do know they had a plan to bring an NBL team to the new state basketball center in Wantirna south. That was scrapped very quickly

 

[peternorth]

I have a mate who works quite high up the the VBL. Originally they had a plan to do the A league formula take a season and a half off and come back new re branding, teams etc. They just pulled the trigger and started the season to early (3-ish years ago) I'll pick his brain more about it and get back to you guys.
I do know they had a plan to bring an NBL team to the new state basketball center in Wantirna south. That was scrapped very quickly

a new bball centre in WS would be a waste considering knox is used i think. good that the idea was benched.

look forward to your findings nufan.

 

[Oneiros]

Well, they're splitting NBL and BA back up, apparently. Interesting to see where this takes the league.

 

[neroblack]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/m...etball-australia/story-e6frfglf-1226633540797

Seeking a commercially viable league...whatever that'll be.

 

[neroblack]

a new bball centre in WS would be a waste considering knox is used i think. good that the idea was benched.

look forward to your findings nufan.

The new stadium ran by Knox is the State Bball Centre. There was a push by Knox, Kilsyth and Dandenong (and maybe Nunawading I think) to support an NBL team playing out of the new stadium, but it's gone away for now. Depending on what the plan is for the NBL going forward it may well come back, those associations are pretty well funded.

 

[Heardy_101]

Only way they'll ever get a successful second (or 3rd) team in Melbourne would be to bring back the Dragons, Giants or Magic. Call me old fashioned but a completely "new" franchise wouldn't work - they kept talking about bringing in the Brisbane Spartans but that soon changed to bringing back the Bullets. Also look at the Kings situation.

 

[nufan]

Only way they'll ever get a successful second (or 3rd) team in Melbourne would be to bring back the Dragons, Giants or Magic. Call me old fashioned but a completely "new" franchise wouldn't work - they kept talking about bringing in the Brisbane Spartans but that soon changed to bringing back the Bullets. Also look at the Kings situation.

The logic behind it was sound. Knox is the largest domestic competition in the country, Dandenong already has a WNBL team and Kilsyth once had an NBL team (I think?) There is a big enough supporter base to have a team based at the State basketball center. Problem is the League doesn't have enough supporter base to support a new team in itself

 

[neroblack]

The logic behind it was sound. Knox is the largest domestic competition in the country, Dandenong already has a WNBL team and Kilsyth once had an NBL team (I think?) There is a big enough supporter base to have a team based at the State basketball center. Problem is the League doesn't have enough supporter base to support a new team in itself

I don't think Kilsyth did, but Frankston did and I think Nunawading? Anyway..the new stadium would be a pretty good location, accessibility is great and if the associations got together funding would probably be sufficient. The bar there also goes ok

 

[nufan]

I don't think Kilsyth did, but Frankston did and I think Nunawading? Anyway..the new stadium would be a pretty good location, accessibility is great and if the associations got together funding would probably be sufficient. The bar there also goes ok

Ahh yes Nunawading!
The accesibility is rubbish! I haven't been to watch a SEABL game. I only coach and play. But 1 road into it with 1 set of lights. Well getting there is ok, leaving is a bitch.
What is your connection with the KBA? I coach at the South east Eagles and play mens 3 nights a week.

 

[peternorth]

Ahh yes Nunawading!
The accesibility is rubbish! I haven't been to watch a game. I only coach and play. But 1 road into it with 1 set of lights. Well getting there is ok, leaving is a bitch.
What is your connection with the KBA? I coach at the South east Eagles and play mens 3 nights a week.

i reside very close to the nuna stadium. i mean VERY close. and i agree, it is hard to access. especially if there is also a funeral at the nearby funeral parlour.

 

[nufan]

i reside very close to the nuna stadium. i mean VERY close. and i agree, it is hard to access. especially if there is also a funeral at the nearby funeral parlour.

Nuna Stadium or the new State basketball center?

 

[neroblack]

Ahh yes Nunawading!
The accesibility is rubbish! I haven't been to watch a game. I only coach and play. But 1 road into it with 1 set of lights. Well getting there is ok, leaving is a bitch.
What is your connection with the KBA? I coach at the South east Eagles and play mens 3 nights a week.

Well with accessibility, I meant right on Eastlink which makes it pretty east from almost anywhere in the south, east and north-east of the city. You're right though, the road in and out of the actual car park struggles a bit!

I play there two nights a week at the moment too, not a bad set up.

 

[nufan]

Well with accessibility, I meant right on Eastlink which makes it pretty east from almost anywhere in the south, east and north-east of the city. You're right though, the road in and out of the actual car park struggles a bit!

I play there two nights a week at the moment too, not a bad set up.

Agreed getting there is nice, albeit the smell from the tip next door.
2 nights a week?, I hope we never have crossed paths on the hardwood. I may have elbowed in the kidneys/face in the post if we have.

 

[neroblack]

Agreed getting there is nice, albeit the smell from the tip next door.
2 nights a week?, I hope we never have crossed paths on the hardwood. I may have elbowed in the kidneys/face in the post if we have.

Haven't had an issue there as yet, it's our first season there with both teams though and I think the grade we're in is too low...

And yeh, when there's a southerly it stinks!

 

[peternorth]

Nuna Stadium or the new State basketball center?

nuna

 

[nufan]

nuna

True nuna Is bad. Although I can't think of one that is good as a domestic stadium. Possibly Dandenong. Or the original Knox due to the fact I can walk there in 10 minutes and drive in 2.
I shot an email off to my mate about some of the questions raised, I await his reply.

 

[Heardy_101]

Nunawading was one of the founding team from memory - will have to look it up.

Frankston played for a year or two. Davenport (Tasmania) even had a team

The Adelaide 36ers were originally known as the Adelaide City Eagles.

Anyway, I think there is support for a second team in Melbourne, or even a third. There are plenty of fans out there who followed the "old" teams such as the North Melbourne Giants, SE Melbourne Magic, Titans or the Dragons who would jump back onto the ship the second they come back (*IF* they come back). Victoria would have the most support for Basketball in the country, so why not take advantage of that.

Sydney is a different situation. Besides the Kings and Wollongong, no other team in NSW was really that succesful. The West Sydney Razorbacks (now we're talking history here!) made a few losing grand finals from memory but that was it. The Kings are effectively it in NSW, with the 'Gong not doing much these days but making up numbers (not being disrespectful to the Hawks here, but what have they done recently?)

The problem with QLD is that the Gold Coast didn't really have the support - The Blaze was a second attempt at an NBL team, the previous one being the Rollers. The joke of it all is that the only 2 remaining teams are in regional cities - Townsville and Cairns, with Cairns being the only QLD team left if Townsville can't get their sh!t together. No team anywhere near or in Brisbane, not good for marketing in the Pineapple state if you ask me, they've been talking about bringing back the Bullets (or another Brisbane franchise, eg the SEABL Spartans) since they folded, but that's all it's been. Talk. If the league was serious about bringing them back, they would have done it by now.

In South Australia the 36ers are it. I don't think there could ever be support for a second side, even if a team like the West Adelaide Bearcats or Sturt Sabres decided to put their hand up.

WA have the Wildcats, don't know much about Basketball over there so can't comment on the state of things regarding another team.

I think NZ could support another team, perhaps in Wellington? Make the NZ Breakers the Auckland Breakers and bring in a second side.