The West: “BA’s new bid to save the NBL.”
Former bank executive Diane Smith-Gander will chair a sevenmember commission that will attempt to devise a strategy to save the league.
Joining her will be fellow BA board member Bruce Spangler, association chief executive Larry Sengstock and four representatives from the seven clubs that have submitted bids to play next season.
The four club delegates are expected to be ratified in the next 24 hours.
But the future of the Adelaide 36ers is one of the key planks in the process of setting up an eight-team league, which would include a Melbournebased franchise. If the 36ers don’t survive, the league could still collapse.
And although the Perth Wildcats made a submission earlier this week to play in a 2009-10 competition, they have not committed.
The West: “One-on-one with Andrew Vlahov.”
What should the salary cap be for NBL clubs? Why?
It should be linked to a percentage of gross revenue which secures the financial viability of the clubs and the employment of all involved in the sport.
Does the player points system work? What changes would you make and why?
It works but clubs and players must move to a disciplined system in which salaries are linked to performance. Performance is established by the objective ratings system. So the better you are, the more you get paid.
Where and when did the NBL go wrong to the point where it has got itself in this mess? Who is to blame? Can it be fixed? How?
If all of us who love basketball and want it to thrive, work together, then we will be able to do what soccer has done and develop a new league. There are no winners in the blame game and I believe even though there are two schools of thought at the moment on the best way forward, there’s no bitterness between the parties. Everyone has the best interests of the game at heart and it’s not too late to unite and get a professional competition created correctly.. I believe this new competition would be underpinned by a new financial model, a Green (environmentally-friendly) League.
Adelaide Now: “New NBL keen to find VIC entrant.”
“Given Victoria’s rich basketball heritage and massive participation base, the Dragons and Tigers are not necessarily the only options open to us in that market. Those two teams also need to understand that by choosing to opt out of the league, they have absolutely no guarantees of ever rejoining the competition.”
Sengstock said BA would introduce teams from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane into the competition in 2010 when a shift to a July-December format is expected. It is believed that would comply with FoxSports’ desire to throw its weight behind a truly revamped league.
At long last it appears the game is moving ahead by divesting itself of its self-interest partners. It was two years ago BA and the NBL, with the support of the Australian Sports Commission, initiated the extensive two-stage independent review which determined the existing NBL had to be replaced by a more workable and financially viable model.
“By playing the 2009-10 season, we can maintain a presence in the market-place, continue to provide employment for our elite players, coaches and referees and set the foundation for a truly national competition in 2010,” Sengstock said.
Adelaide Now: “36ers out but Dome tenants okay.”
Sixers staff were told this week Hemmerling’s version of the club had reached the end of the line and while the “Save Our Sixers” consortium is very much in the picture to take over his license, his absence leaves that process somewhat in limbo. For the Lightning and Basketball SA though, their agreements with Dome management – Eddy Groves – remains intact and the 36ers also will be welcomed back when/if the time comes.
Dragons captain Mark Worth-nothing-ton also has shown himself as misinformed as he is tactful by bagging BA, essentially failing to grasp it has shown rare courage to not be bullied into handing stewardship of any new league back into the hands of those whose irresponsibility helped drive the game to its lowest ebb in 30-plus years.
Look on the bright side. While salaries in the new league will be in line with what the market can afford, many high-calibre players come into the free agent mix. Larry Sengstock Medallist Donta Smith would be on my radar.
“I’ll head back and try out for the NBA like I do every year, then we’ll have a look at it,” Smith said after South won the grand final.
“But I love it here. I wouldn’t mind coming back. The crowds are great, the basketball’s great.”
Lest we forget, Daniel Joyce – one of the only multi-talented players nominated in every NBL &!#@%!*& award category last season – also is now available.
Gaze.com.au: “Corletto escapes to England.”
With the wheels already in motion in preparation for a worse case scenario, Corletto is set to jet his way to England and land himself a gig in the English Basketball League using his dual-citizenship to play as a local.
But firstly Corletto, along with NBA superstars Ben Gordon and Luol Deng of the Chicago Bulls, plus Steve Leven (who spent the 2006/07 pre-season with the Perth Wildcats) will spend three weeks in August trying out as part of England’s 18-man squad for the 2012 Olympic games.
“I’m in the process of finding a team,” said Corletto, just hours after he heard the one and only NBL club he had played for make the announcement to players, “I’ve been put in the (English) national squad and that comes first.”
