Hoops

Patty Mills leaving Tigers and NBL for China

soon with the lockout and subsequent no confidence court action being bought by the players, players will be de-registered and all contracts will be null and void.

pretty soon Bogut isn't gonna have any contract with any NBA team.

Interesting update on the Contract Situation, with Sportando.net reporting that:

"Patty Mills' contract in CBA with Xinjiang is non-guaranteed. He can be replaced anytime if the NBA is cancelled and they find someone better. Patty Mills will stay in China as long as the Chinese team want him."

Anon, you clearly didn't watch the game on Saturday. 32 points at 55% is plenty efficient in anyone's books, and he was burning the defence and finishing at the rim over big bodies at will with several NBA finishes.

The only negative in his game was that he didn't look to his team in the last quarter, but rather got into an ego match with Chris Warren, which Warren ended up winning comfortably. Mills needs to learn yet when to dish off to his wide open team mates more.

I agree Paul, easily top 10 player and has the potential to be #1 all day, he just isn't there yet despite a lot of people thinking he is

So hope you're right Suspicious!

I cannot believe anyone is bagging him for leaving for dollars. Are you friggin' serious?
There may not be an NBA, so Mills should stay here for pennies instead of earning a high wage somewhere else?

That anyone can be bagging him for earning a wage.....wow.

Good luck Patty, thanks for bringing some interest to the league whilst you were here.

I live in New Zealand so that is why I wasn't at the game and why I don't have my tongue up his ass. I will fully admit that his play has improved since the start of the season especially his decision making but he still isn't all that nor even close to it. Haters gonna hate Jiggy but what is his special talent? Throwing up more shots than everyone on the court combined? Turnovers?

Stoked, I don't have to watch some guy either flop or throw up brick after brick and then make some goggles with his fingers when he hits one and then hear about how awesome he was on Monday.

Has anyone thought that there might be other reasons that Patty Mills is going to China instead of staying here? Maybe as its become more apparent that the 'current' NBA season won't happen his club, the Portland Trailblazers, wanted him playing in a more competitive league than the NBL? I don't know, I'm just guessing but isn't Mills still under contract with the Blazers or is he a free agent?

Either way, and although I sadly missed the chance to see him live last night, I think it was great for the NBL just to have him here playing for the past 7 weeks. We've had umpteen amounts of former NBA players play here over the years and some have been stars (Mee, Brooks, Rose etc) but until now we've never had a current player. Sure he has copped a lot of flack for his flop but other than that the guy has not really put a foot wrong and overall crowds have been up where he and the Tigers have been playing. Last night's 6,175 was the largest crowd to see Patty in the NBL so those who went can be proud of that and they got to see him in full flight on offense playing almost a lone role in keeping Melbourne in the game.

So whether he has been told to go play in a more competitive league or he has done this personally in the pursuit of more money I say good luck to the guy and I hope his career continues to get better. I think it was great to have the guy here, I just hope that now he's gone the crowds don't drop off for the Tigers, after all they are 2nd on the ladder right now.

I know its just my opinion but really I'm just thankful he came to the NBL at all. He did have big $$ offers in Europe IIRC (may be wrong) so to come here at all was a win for the league and showed that he's prepared to give back to basketball in this country, even if it did only end up being for 7 weeks.

Before you have a go at him for leaving for money, think to yourself, if the competition of whomever it is that you work for offered you an $80,000 pay rise, would you stay?? Of course not. This is the profession of these guys. They need to make the money while they can. The fact he gave what he did while he was there was enough for me.

I have the upmost respect for the man. Met him last night after two intense back to back games, a few hours of addressing excited fans and the constant nagging of team management trying to get him to leave. Still had the time to have a chat, sign an autograph and take a picture.

As previously stated, leaving the NBL was a no brainer. Again, if he wanted another NBA contract he had to play somewhere other than the NBL. We can kid ourselves all we want but the League just does not attract the respect that most other national leagues do.

We should count ourselves lucky that we even had the chance to have him in our humble league. There is not one of us that would take a job that paid the sort of money it did over a job that will pay atleast double AND provide the best opportunity for future contracts/jobs (NBA gigs).

Good luck to you Patty, you brought interest back into our league, it is us who owes you.

The tigers don't need to sign a centre as they wouldn't play with gleeson coaching. The "small line up" seems to be the his tact. After reading some previous threads, it seems gleeson is the only one that can't see the big picture.

Just friggin glad to see a game of his brilliance

Glad Patty had the googles on last night and the Sixers still won. I thought it was great that on one play he jacked up an air ball, gets jeered, and on the next offense nails nothing but net from almost the same spot as his previous shot.

That little show of self belief impressed me, the sign of a winner.

HE was bound to leave sooner or later with a return to NBA but i never expected him to take up another offer outside NBL ,Good Luck to him everywhere he played the crowd numbers were up,which was good for australian NBL .

I don't want to disrespect pat but I think it's the best thing for the tigers. Now people can be played in there positions (cam tragardh as a 4) and Dillion can get the minutes he deserves. Would be good to see the tigers go with a big line up.

+1

Disappointing!

Has anyone heard what he is up to in the offseason? Is he playing anywhere, has he been linked to any clubs??