Hoops

Disgraceful - Corletto dumped for Mills

Simple solution - allow each team to sign a marquee player outside the salary cap like Soccer does. Even fanatic Hoops freaks may have noticed that Harry Kewell has signed to play in the A-League and there have been special arrangements put in place to make it happen. Perhaps if the NBL actually thought about it, they would have avoided this whole sorry mess.

Let's just be thankful that Mills is playing in the league at all.

Regardless of what results he produces in-game, he's still going to add some profile that brings the attention of local viewers and hopefully packs more stadiums in away games (as pointed out earlier, the cage can't get any more than 3000 people).

Hopefully if there is an improvement in attendance on last season with help from these signings, then BA might warrant reviewing the season schedule to allow international aussies to have a chance to play back at home.

I'm pretty over this sideshow already, he is just one player on a team. He'll do well while he is here but I won't be cheering for the Tigers, I'll support any team playing against them as I do with the Lakers.

I'm actually more interested in how all the new imports in the league go than Patty Mills

Great plan Isaac. Tigers could use the plan well. Get Rush and Greer to play for 60K this year and then 120K next year. Then mysteriously at the start of next season decide to de-activate them. Simple really. Now your thinking like Seamus.

Personally I am over all the fuss. The only things pissing me off is not knowing the real truth about what went on. Now I am just waiting for what is shaping up as a great season to start. Cant wait for Martin V Mills. May also be a chance for the non believers to appreciate how strong the NBL is after seeing how out local guys stack up against an NBA role player who is now the first player to be playing NBL who would have actually been playing in the NBA rather than a discard or hopefull.

Tigerhater your a basketball genius, Mills has done nothing??? Making the league at what- 6'3 and becoming a crowd favorite in Portland.
Would you call Shane heal a Aussie legend? I would and in the space of a few years patty has done more. Heal hit some treys for the timberwolves one night and some big games for the boomers. look at gaze, Australia's biggest legend and let me tell you patty will surpass him in the next decade. You know nothing mate go back to working maccas drive through or cleaning the toilets at the crazy horse. You should take tiger out of your forum name cause it looks to me like your just a hater. I'll be cheering patty at Adelaide arena in November

I still don't really understand it.

If you sign a contract for X amount of dollars, how can the front office get a new team member and say 'Either you take a pay cut' or were going to deactivate you?

When they sign the original contract, wouldn't the salary aspect be guaranteed?

Seems real unfair that players have to give up 20k+ on their contract; 20k is a huge amount and I reckon that if players like Greer or Rush knew that they would have had to play for the new negotiated amount before they signed the contract, they would have signed elsewhere.

I wonder what the chemistry will be like between Mills & Ubaka? Pretty similar style players, both ball dominant score first players. I'm not convinced this Melbourne team is particularly well balanced and that could hurt them.

Next post please......

Patty is a legend, please explain what he has done that has been legendary?
I look forward to seeing how he goes but thats about it. I wanted NZ to chase his signature as he is a good player but not at the expense of renegotiating everyone's salary and it would have been instead of an import and then replace him with an import when he left

Tiger Hater, how can you say Patty has achieved nothing???
He has represented his state, represented his country, been to the AIS, played NCAA Div1 college ball, played minutes in the NBA, scored in the NBA.. is that not achieving anything??

We must have a different understanding of achieving.

As much as i feel for Corletto, who has been loyal to his club! I know id rather go watch Mills then Corletto!

God damn people!! Who really cares how Mills managed to fit in under their cap. Patty Mills is playing in Australia, and if you are any type of Basketball fan, you will greatly appreciate that!!

Go the Crocs!

Exactly Isaac. How can anyone come up with that insurance money?

How much is it..$17m or something isn't it?

$17m is just about the entire GDP of NZ ;)

Its crazy when you really consider NBA salaries..
Gerald Wallace's salary from last season was the combined salary cap of all 9 NBL teams.

In other news, check out this!!

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10748376

Remote chance of Bogut to the Breakers!!

Mills wasn't earning $2m in the NBA.
Last season, his salary was $937,195 to be exact.

Statman's on the money, the two biggest markets are Sydney and Melbourne so i'm pretty sure Larry and BA are over the moon he has signed with one of these two clubs. We are not just talking about bums on seats but also tv viewers, sponsorship, marketing why do you think there was such a push to get Sydney back in the league? I'm actually very surprised Mills didn't end up there but i'm guessing they didn't have the cash to back it up like Melbourne.

In 'The Age' this morning and article on Julie Corletto trying to get out of her last year of contract with Melb Vixens to move up North!

I would not have had a problem if the NBL helped a team like Cairns or the Hawks get a marque local player as those teams are Community Owned and from small centres and aren't throwing cash around but Melbourne, bit of a joke especially when they had their whole team assembled already.

not sure what happened with that post but it was meant to read

MACDUB, based on last season I will argue your Dorsey > Abercrombie call

Mills is not the drawcard many of us who visit this forum think he is. Seriously now, and detach yourself from the basketball junkie inside you, just how big do you think Patty's profile is outside of basketball circles. Better yet, pull yourself away from your workstation for 5 minutes and do a spot poll of your work colleagues and friends who do not follow basketball. Tell them that Patty Mills is playing in the NBL, You might be surprised when they say "who".

Sure he might put a couple of hundred additional bums on seats and he might generate the odd news story, which is better than nothing I do concede, but week in, week out the NBL and Basketball Australia are criticised for not promoting strongly enough the domestic game and its stars. I know I just made a generalisation but sadly few people outside of basketball know who Patty Mills is. How many retail outlets carry his playing jersery, perhaps 1 maybe 2, at best 3. Andrew Bogut, well that's a different matter.

I know many will disagree with me, call me a fool, whatever, and that's your perogative but I just don't see attendances improving significant just because of Patty, and especially not over the duration of the season. Happy to be proven wrong.

Finally I have last thing to say about him signing with Melbourne -"He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy"

Wouldn't be suprised if DC goes to Europe (England or a minor European mainland league such as Sweden or Poland)

He does have a Great Britain passport, so he could play there as a local.

Mills
Ubaka
Dorsey
Tragardh
Burston

That is an unbelievable starting 5! wow!

Then with guys like Dillion, Rush etc. off the bench, that is one hell of a team.

Also, DraftExpress lists Ubaka as 6"4! Was really suprised seeing that..He could comfortably play the SG spot as a result.

Compare the Tigers starting 5 to last years Breakers team:
Mills > Henare
Ubaka < Penney
Dorsey > Abercrombie
Tradgardh = Vukona (Equal both score a little and rebound)
Burston < Wilkinson

Looks as though the Tigers team is potentially an upgrade of last years Champions.
Although IMO, Breakers were deeper than what this current squad is.

I hope the 36ers offer Corletto a training/injury reserve spot if he doesnt get a full time gig elsewhere, as he is a decent player IMO and doesnt deserve this from the Tigers.

Agree with Orbit, Corletto is a capable player and this may even spark him to play harder but even on current face value he would be a decent local signing for anyone with a roster spot available (does anyone have a spot left for a guard).
I'd wear him over Leon Henry for the Breakers (not taking anything away from Henry as he thoroughly deserves his spot) especially as he would be good back up at PG behind our Import and CJ could play SG with Webster as backup (shame this happened now and not when everyone was putting their teams together lol).

WOW, how the hell are the Tigers under the salary cap?

If they let go Ubaka for Mills that would be fine, but they have let go what my guess would be one of their cheapest players, in a fairly deep team to sign probably the best player in the league, that just doesnt add up to me.

The whole re-negotiated contracts thing doesnt sound that legit, as if the guys took 20k cuts to get Mills in, assuming he is on something like 200k, which would be my guess, especially the imports, as why would they? Ubaka is potentially going to lose minutes so i doubt he would be keen for a pat cut aswell.

Great to see Mills in the NBL, i cant wait to see him play, i just wish he was with a club that just had say 1 import to fit him in,or a weaker aussie content Cairns, Kings or Hawks (or 36ers), so that it doesnt make a complete mockery of the salary cap.

I think when the 36ers were chasing him they were of the opinion it was Mills or a import point guard not BOTH due to the salary cap, i doubt the tigers roster is any cheaper than our players, come on NBL INVESTIGATE thoroughly this situation as no fan believes they are under the cap now surely.

Just from an outsider, i dont know anyone around Mills or any NBL club but to me it appears the Tigers have out bidded everyone for him, as he basically to my knowledge has no history with any coaches or players at the Tigers or the city of Melbourne, so its unlikely he would have went their cheap to play close to family or with a coach/teammate he has history with.

I am not bitter the 36ers didnt get him, and am heaps EXCITED to see Mills in the NBL, just think the situation is a JOKE! Whats next the Tigers sign Ingles in Benny Lewis's spot and they still fit under the salary cap?

Great he is in the NBL. Best thing to happen for a long time and all would be OK IF the Tigers dropped an import to fit Patty in. So seeing as it is reported that Corletto is the bunny to make way then one of two things must be true.

1) Patty is playing for the some money as DC was.

OR

2) The Tigers must have been well under the cap in the first place

Sort of defeats the real purpose of the cap and the good work that the NBL did last year to at least get rid of the total pisstakes and limit the rorts to some high value Harvey Norman vouchers.

NBL needs to come clean.

Tigers have shown no loyalty towards anyone, including their members over the last 3-5 years.

Bring on a 2nd Melbourne team.

great loyalty from the Tigers lol, guess it is a business but still a pretty tough call. What happens if the lockouts over after 3 games lol?