Hoops

Ballinger is a liability

Good points Mystro and Isaac.

However, leadership doesn't just come from being the veteran voice on a team; leading by example is better.

If Balls wants lead, he just needs to show it by shooting the ball. Balls doesn't need screens etc. to shoot from; he just needs to get used to making his own space, which he's been more than capable of doing before.

I wouldn't say that Redhage is a better defender or shooter than Balls, but Redhage demands the ball, and makes it count as often as possible. He misses, but keeps going. Balls can do the same, but no when he's a door mouse about it.

He just needs to arc up and demand more ball time.

I agree with the leadership comments regarding the Sixers. The Breakers have Penney, Bruton, Henare, Boucher and to a lesser degree, Braswell to provide on court leadership at any given time.
I believe this was crucial in the comeback against the Taipans especially with young guys like Abercrombie, Webster and Pledger in the team.

Would love to have Ballinger back in the Gong. Solid player. Have said this before and would like someone who has the Blaze game on tape to review my observations and comment. Again last night the 6ers failed to get Balls the ball on so many occasions it is not funny. Watch how many times he is open and showing (hell even waving his arms around)hands and is not picked up by the ball handler. Check the first 1/4 when he is open on the 3 point line and Shannon jacks up a contested 3. He was on Shannons right and I still believe also that Shannon's eye problem restricts his ability to pick up players on his right. Anyway just my opinion but I think they leave a lot of high percentage points out there on most nights by their lack of finding an open Ballinger. Yes not a great defender but one where a good coach and surrounding him with the right mix of players can be easily incorporated into a decent team defensive strategy.

Statistically speaking, the Sixers are less than one standard deviation away from the average against score, and less than one standard deviation away from the average for score. Most teams lie within 1 standard deviation. Defensively, both the Gold Coast and Melbourne are worse than the Sixers.

Basketball is a team game and with the Sixers loosing games in a very tight competition, the captain is an easy scapegoat.

We have had the Ewing theory posted up here and now this thread.

The issue is not that Ballinger is a liability, the issue with the Sixers right now, it that the average score at home is 86 to 83, and away it is 75 to 85.

So rather than getting personal, the question that should be asked, is why does our offense drop off by 11 ppg away from home?

Isaac Forman,it all makes sense now,sorry if i a little slow on the up take but im not from S.A. Interesting!!!

We should definatly keep Ballinger if we can start him along side Schenscher or a import C who can defend inside and rebound, and Creek or a good import at SF that would be a solid frontline IMO.

Was at the game tonight. Whole team lacked any kind of determination to reverse the flow. But particular blame must be laid at the feet of the starters. When Clarke ripped off everyone except Shannon, we finally at least looked interested in giving a contest (I would have replaced Shannon as well, Daly looks a gem). Ballinger is our leader, but doesn't seem able to demand his team make a stand. He came out after half time with a bandage on his calf, so maybe some issue there, but he just gave the impression of being disinterested in leading from the front. The guy should be scoring 25 a night with most of our offence designed around him. When he gets the ball on the elbow it is pretty much automatic. We need to start DJ at centre and get Balls to his natural position. We also need a leader who is going to tear some guys a new one when required. Maher did it. Mee did it. Davis did it. No-one on this team demanded a lift in intensity. Clarke had to resort to a 4 man sub as a sort of wake up call.
Next year forget about imports. They have given us nothing this year. Develop our young talent.