Hoops

36ers Team 2011

Luke can grab boards, block shots and fill up the lane. If that's all he does for a team, then so be it; you at least know he's capable of scoring if needed.

He can be the 2nd or 3rd option to score on offense, and he's reliable at that to boot. Still worth the money IMO; and coupled with great perimeter defenders in Herbert and Carter, you have a reliable starting core that can play D.

Fill the 1 and 4 spots with pure scoring power and you've got a decent starting lineup. If everyone is sure keen on keeping this "marquee" title on Ballinger despite blatant lapses in areas, then at least this lineup would be an improvement overall.

Bean, I would be surprised if many posters would be happy with Davidson, Majok, Crosswhite or Johnson being offered the starting centre spot if they knew Schenscher was a possible option. Khazzouh is perhaps the only player on your list I imagine people would happily accept if it come down to all the players listed above being available and willing. Having said that, I entirely agree that Schenscher may not be the best centre for the Sixers to pursue, and yes, options are most certainly limited.

Given all the talk on this forum about Schenscher and the suggestions to pay him whatever it takes, I've wondered whether the search for a australian born centre needs to be extended to Europe. This of course would present the Sixers with an entirely different challenge.

The only chance I believe a player the likes of Maric, Jawai, Nevill, Ogilvy, Baynes or possibly Neilson would consider returning to Australia is if they're substantially homesick and/or seriously over their Europe experience. I would be surprised if the Sixers could offer bigger salaries than what these players are currently being paid in Europe.

Not alot of optimism indeed and perhaps Sixer fans need to start preparing themselves for a very long and testing time ahead. I hope not.

Big Ads, I think the SA factor is part of it, but let me tell you the way I think about it, because I reckon some others might have a similar view.

I actually don't think Schenscher is the ideal centre for the NBL style of play, nor does he fit the way I think Marty wants to play. I think the Sixers would be far better off with a Khazzouh, Davidson or Crosswhite. Problem is, there is no reason to believe we can get any of them. Schenscher, on the other hand, is from here and has played for the Sixers before.

He is also a good player and a good guy, hence a lot of us are pinning our hopes on him, because no-one wants to go into another season with such a thin frontline.

Short of that we have to hope for massive improvement from DJ in the off-season, or that Majok decides to come play here and develops quickly.

Not a lot of reasons for optimism for us Sixers fans right now.

I should also add that heaven help the local players if they cannot help deliver success. It can be a bit of a double edged sword.

But back on topic how cool would it be to see the 2011/2012 Sixers team with

Schenscher/Carlin
Forman/Ballinger
Ingles/Hill
Newley/Ng/Madgen
Import/Daly

Probably too expensive and wouldn't fit within the points cap.

Lenny, I suspect it relates mostly to the romanticism associated with fielding a championship team that comprises mostly local players and two imports.

South Australian supporters of basketball like to see local products do well on the national stage but it hurts like hell when they do it with interstate based organisations.

At the moment a common belief amongst most sixer supporting posters is that the team lacks a true centre. Schenscher is the only locally born player who currently fills that position as an NBL starter. It is the same reason why Ingles and Newley are also referenced as hopeful recruits in terms of small forward and off-guard positions, heck some people were hoping Oscar Forman would come back and fill the power forward role.

Well a past criticism of the 36ers was they didnt show enough interest in the local players like Newley, Ingles even Schenscher and i remember the bagging they got when Bradtke after he had signed with the bullets said on talking hoops that he was thinking Adelaide or Brisbane, but Adelaide never called so he went to Brisbane, the 36ers just assumed they couldnt afford him so didnt bother asking, and even if they couldnt, they could atleast offer him the best they can and leave it up to him.

If i were the 36ers id be giving Schenscher plenty of 'love' and offer him his asking price and possibly 10-20% more than the crocs offer him to see if we can entice him over, no harm in trying. Id do similar to Adam Gibson and Stephen Weigh, and if we can get any one of those guys we will be better next season and for the future. I personally hope we spend 80% of our cap on our starters and leave most of our current players on the shelf until we have signed the starting 5 and then offer them the back up spots.

"you never know if you dont ask"

Yep, I had a mate like that. He used to go to the pub and was very direct with all the women folk. He reckons for every 100 knockbacks, he got lucky once.

Even if he doesnt come, we need to atleast make him the first priority, offer him a good contract at the start of free agency, as you never know if you dont ask.

Reckon there's more chance of Luke becoming a Sixers dancer than a Sixer in 2012

My first choice team is

Schenscher/Johnson
Ballinger/Creek
Hill/Herbert
IMPORT (Ere type)/Bruce
Gibson/Carter/Daly (DP)

Johnson would be our back up for both Schenscher and Ballinger,

only use Creek at PF in a few 'small ball' moments,

Creek, Hill, Herbert play the SF minutes,

IMPORT (or someone like Weigh) to play 25+ at SG backed up by Herbert and Bruce,

and a PG rotation of Gibson, Carter, Bruce.

To me thats a well balanced team.

Inside scoring with Schenscher and Johnson,

Leadership with Gibson and Schenscher, these guys are well experienced, and are winners!

3 pt shooting with Herbert, IMPORT, also Gibson, Bruce and Carter are all half decent 3pt shooters,

Defense and Hustle with Carter, Gibson, Herbert, Creek.

Inside Defense is still not totally fixed but having 2 of Schenscher, Ballinger, Johnson at all times means we will atleast have the size to improve in this area. Schenscher usually doesnt also get totally killed in this area either.

I regret reading through that.