Hoops

NBL's Top 15 players

I do not disagree with many of the said NBL top 15 positions, but, it has also been stated that no one can stop Gary Ervin, and not to take anything away from his playing ability, but if you had watched the Hawks V Taipans game then you would have noticed that DD did actually take Gary out of the game most of the time ... hence helping with the end result. DD definately held him down in the first half ... refer to stats ... and only when DD left the court for some reason, did Gary score big in that third quarter, DD came back on court and Gary was held again in the last quarter. DD scoring stats are not so big because he is always sharing the ball, he is an incredible player to watch, and very disciplined, and he can shoot a big three and I mean big. I saw him a few years ago playing for the dragons and he came off the bench as a development player and blew the game apart. I am looking forward to seeing what the rest of the year turns out for him .. well done DD.

The South Dragons did do a great job of intergrating with grass root levels associations and promoting the game in Melbourne. However the business model they used meant they lost millions and were not able to remain financially viable. Not exactly a great overall example and certainly far from a perfect model. If it was perfect they would still be with us today.

Crowds of 3000 compare very well with European crowds including the prestigious Euroleague competition. even then they usually max out at around 6000-7000.

Soccer is facing major issues right here and right now. This is a fact. Their crowds are dwindling and teams are struggling financially. Same situation the NBL was in - and I repeat was.

Nothing wrong with Andrew Gaze looking after himself financially either - he has a family and has every right to make a living. However he continues to be the face of basketball in this country. He coaches juniors, he commentates the NBL and is now joining Overtime on OneHD. He is on the BA board, is on Melbourne's SEN radio virtually every morning ensuring basketball gets a mention...the list probably goes on. Personally, I think he does a great job of promoting the sport IMO.

Out juniors continue to do well on the world stage as Paul pointed out. And for a country of our size we bat well above our weight.

And whilst there are plenty of things the NBL can improve on as everyone has pointed out, I think they have far fewer holes that need plugging than those that can be found in your flawed argument...

I think paul has done a great job at even attempting something like this knowing that it would only be criticized by so many anonymous posters. But like he said, and I agree, it has sparked a great discussion and debate, which can only be good for the game.

We would all have slightly different picks for whatever reasoning (myself, i tend to agree almost exactly with Isaacs changes) But it is no different than having a little niggle with mates about why your favourite player is better than his favourite player and so on. It can only be good for the game, and i think it's a great piece, and he has done well to get so much talk about it.

For me; Penney, Ervin, then redhage my top 3.

That is going with the current+past form formula.

Agree wholeheartedly with Isaac on this one.

As for the top 15 list produced by Paul, he is contributing positively to the league (and this site as already pointed out) with his articles and comments. In a similar way to what Boti does with his written pieces, he has promoted a discussion about the NBL. That is a good thing. In fact it is a very good thing given where the NBL is coming back from.

Paul also makes some excellent points on other national leagues across the globe.

Our best players are earning serious money on some of the best teams in Europe, if not the world. Ingles at Barcelona, Maric at Panathinaikos, Nielsen at Olympiakos, Jawai at Partizan and of course Bogut at Milwaukee. All are bonafide starters and contributors on their teams right now. Most of these guys are on more than US$2 million per year.

As for 7 years from now, we have some outstanding talent coming up through the ranks, both in the NBL and overseas (NCAA). We have far more up and coming junior talent than the very few names you have listed Anon.

Got it in one Isaac.

I agree to a point with a few selections in the list. However you have to read past some of the stat lines and see what the players actually do.

Redhage is certainly a Top-3 atm. He's well rounded in his stats, is the primary go-to guy for his team and is a fairly big scorer. Can shoot well in the clutch.

Ervin (probably everyone's No#1) is probably the most talented in the list and his stats fit the role he plays on the team.

Penney being No#2 at the moment is a joke. Re-rate the list in about 2 months and he would probably be there.

Honestly, if they're trying to do a "Power Rankings" or "MVP" rankings list like they do in the NBA, it would be preferable to rate the players on what they have done so far this year versus what they have done in PREVIOUS seasons.

Would have expected Ubaka and Loughton to be higher. Balls is still one of the best players in the league IMO, but if they're rating him on stats, he's only going to be as high as the 10-spot for now.

Congrats and thanks guys..you entertained us at the games..and now we are out of town..you and Isaac are our lifeline..keep it up..and kepp an ear out for the whistles at the wildcats game..itll be us doin our bit for the 36ers.