Hoops

Do 36ers attempt to retain Randle next year?

I thought he had signed for two years or was that just wishful thinking?

The starting frontcourt on the team they played against in the GF was Angus Brandt and Jerai Grant, so important not to confuse the roster depth of a powerhouse like Zalgiris (for whom Motum is the leading scorer in Euroleague play) with the quality of the LKL.

Is Brock Motum still coming off the bench for Zalgiris? He was Top 5 in scoring & rebounding in the NBL.

Randle getting the Finals MVP award on the championship team is proof teams can win with Randle starring.

"He won a title being the top guy in a top team."

Snooch, the two situations aren't all that comparable. Was he the top guy at Zalgiris? From the games I saw I'd say not in the same way he is in Adelaide, he was one of a number of key players.

The Finals MVP tag should be taken in the knowledge they won their games by 11, 24, 24 and 27. It's not like he was the man making things happen on key possessions down the stretch, so again that has little crossover to the NBL playoffs.

If you're having a serious discussion about his ability to lead an NBL team to the title, I wouldn't be factoring in his short time at Zalgiris.

If they make the playoffs they should bring him back. With another year under their belt the youngsters could be dangerous

Did look like a fair amount of spare seats on TV.

Ofcourse the other issue is whether Randle even wants to stay. Let's be honest when Melbourne or Sydney or Perth or whomever else with money come calling offering significantly higher $$$, 2 years in a city doesn't create loyalty or goodwill that outweighs the extra money.

I don't see Randle as "selfish."
I see him as an exceptionally good scoring guard, in a team without too many other options. That's the problem when you're the "go to guy" you have to back yourself.

36ers and NBL media were promoting a near sell out for last game yet Boti posted crowd numbers of 4700 v Perth.

Keep in mind also that last season Randle helped bring decent crowds for the 36ers. That's worth something for a club and sport where bums on seats counts.

Townsville's death spiral seemed to coincide with their cutting of Homicide. I'd be wary of a similar effect at a similarly underfunded club.

Ah right cheers KR

Can't see Randle leading this Adelaide team to a title, but to say no team with him as their top guy can win one because he's too selfish is not living in reality.

He won a title being the top guy in a top team. The fact that team could have won a title without him is irrelevant, because he was still the top guy on that team.

You must spend minimum 400k on your lowest 5.

It would be interesting to make predictions on who spends the most from 1 to 8.

Teams must spend the Salary floor, which is 90% of the Cap, so currently just shy of $1M.
I suppose one could argue that 30% on one player is excessive, but the floor could increase in future as the cap will be based on average spend. We also don't know much Adelaide is actually spending.

Although, I assume if Randle is on 300K then Adelaide might be just a little over the cap?

With 11 players, that would leave 800k for the other 10. You must spend minimum 400k on your lowest 5.

With a cap of $1.1m and assuming you're only willing to spend the cap, if Randle's asking $300K would you keep him?

Yep, I would.

I guess a good question is how many teams have won NBL titles with a ball-dominant PG as their main scoring weapon?

There's not many I can think of, but at the same time that doesn't mean it can't happen. One thing's for sure, if Randle leads this Adelaide team to a title he will have done extraordinarily well.

I agree that it doesn't really add anything to the debate as to whether he could single-handedly take a crap NBL team to the title. But that goes for pretty much anyone. Could Randle have taken last year's Perth team to the title if he were to take Beal's position? I would have thought so (plus I think he would compliment D Martin very well).

What I'm saying is that winning an LKL title with Zalgiris (who could have had any of hundreds of import PGs and still won) doesn't really add anything to the debate about whether he can lead an NBL team to the title.

Paul - 'yes he is, but...'

The usual convention is that the words after 'but' qualify the statement before. Are you saying that Randle's achievement, winning MVP on the championship side, is less impressive because he was on a perennial contender?

First, he must have been good enough to be selected for the best team, secondly, he still had to be the best team's most valuable player and thirdly, he still had to get that team to win the championship?

The anon poster said 'No team with randel as their top guy will win a ring. To selfish'. A team just did, as Snooch pointed out. He clearly wasn't so terrible an MVP that his Lithuanian team couldn't win it because of his selfish play.

Anon #611383 are you basing this on what you think or what you know?

I guess we'll find out at the end of the year if they ever end up releasing some sort of list of figures...

Craig sitting on the bench at Cairns

What position am I qualifying XY?

So, Paul, your saying he was the best player on the best team AND he didn't make them worse enough so that they stopped being the best team?

Not sure your qualifying the position in the way you have helps.

Snooch, yes he is, but he was playing for the team that wins the championship almost every year in Lithuania.

The game was won by Sobey hitting that big 3. If that hadn't happened Randle would have been called selfish.The 3 shots he too were terrible too. The block that occurred was in amongst the tall timber and should never have even been considered, let alone taken.

Isn't Randle coming off being named finals MVP in a championship with his team in Europe? Kinda goes against the "won't win a championship" theme..

Going solo late in the game can be a bit frustrating, but I'd hardly call him selfish. At the start of this season he said he wanted to distribute more and score less. When the season got underway it was clear that the kids he's got around him weren't quite there yet and he had to carry a load. Look at the last 3 games though. He's not scoring 34 a game and carrying the team, he's scoring 20 and we've got a long list of other players chipping in with 9s and 10s. If DJ can maintain his aggressive offence and get Creek back with the same form he showed early then we've got another couple of people who can drop 20 and it starts to look a lot less shaky.
If Randle wants to come back, I say make it happen!

He had 3 shots I recall in O/t, one never going in, 2nd one blocked and the 3rd the same as the first. In all cases other people were open. That's selfish.

Randle going all freaky, penetrating and hop stepping into a jumpshot or a ridiculous floater or an impossible layup over shot blockers are okay because somehow he gets them in - and at a good rate.

Doing the same thing and passing to the open man, Randle does some serious damage to the opposition.

The aspect which looks selfish is when he's too busy holding the ball up, dribbling in the same spot or moving around the same little area (and on occasion losing the ball trying to mess with people without actually trying to make a move to the basket). This is when the 36ers offence is seriously stifled.

The 36ers look good when they push and move the ball. Look at the first half v Perth. They also look bad and incompetent and as if they can't be bothered doing anything when they don't push and move the ball - look at the second half v Perth.

At this point it is important to note as Paul said, Randle could simply be doing what he's told by the coach.

Admittedly during these periods of offence, it does look like the 36ers are attempting offensive sets - they just look like they're walking through it for the first time at training. Effectively, Randle is forced to dribble it around directing people where to go and not really doing much but taking up the clock.

"Losing side? Wow from where I am standing they don't look like a losing side - they are on par with any team bar Sydney in the league."

The 36ers are 6-6 and one game behind top, so hardly a losing side. And they beat Sydney in Sydney six days ago.

A player can be a selfish ball hog and still have a lots of assists. Sometimes they won't give the ball off unless they think it will lead to an assist next to their name.

In his second year at the Magic I thought Rose was selfish, to the detriment of the team. As for Randle, he is just doing exactly what Joey Wright asks him to and he's doing it exceptionally well.

Calling Randle selfish is like saying Robert Rose was.

A lot of people thought that Rose was selfish, though most overlooked it because he was so good. But he really wasn't and it wasn't unusual to see his stat line read that along with his usual 25+ points and whatever rebounds, he would give out somewhere near 10 assists.

As Brett Maher said about him, the problem was that because he could just about do it all, those around him tended to sit back a bit and let him do everything.

Randle isn't selfish, but like Rose when you are that much better than those around you then you are going to end up with the ball a lot more. And given that he's the point guard, of course he is going to have it more than most.

Personally I would rather Adelaide keep him, especially if they are getting away with it for only around $300k a season. He's a proven NBL performer. Besides that, its nice to have a regular import rather than the one year wonders we've had here in the past 6-7 years.

How you gonna call him selfish? He was penetrating our D and hitting open guys all night. 6 assists plus a good number of hockey assists.

For the right price yes. BUT he is only any good for the 36ers if they can compliment him with better pieces. Otherwise no point paying top dollar for a Ferrai, if you cant afford the petrol and it becomes a wasted purchase.

Adelaide MUST spend at least the salary floor, and that will probably increase considering the cap is supposed to move based on average spend.

Down the stretch in overtime Randle went jungle. Nearly cost them the game.

Losing side? Wow from where I am standing they don't look like a losing side - they are on par with any team bar Sydney in the league.

Nah, just rely on Creek or Teys to be your go to man.

Is the Pope Catholic?

$300k!! Lock him up.. he's worth $600k in top European league, so I doubt you'll se hik here

$300,00 in a losing side is ludicrous.

If Randle is costing you only $300k, then absolutely lock him in. Maybe they need to look at what they are paying others, or they need to go begging to some sponsors and get some more cash to surround him with a bit better quality.
Get some mature, cheap, role players, eg somebody that can play solid D and grab a few boards.

Maybe chase one more decent scorer?

Deng's on a 3 year deal and is an Adelaide boy who wants to stay with his family so I doubt he is going anywhere unless it is in the NBA for the opportunity.

Drmic, Hodgson, Sobey could be poached but I guess it comes to loyalty to teams and you see more of that in the NBL than any other sporting code in Australia.

Good question, i'd say if possible absolutely - an import with a track record of 20ppg and around the MVP standard you can't go past that.

Obviously it's dependent on finances.

The 36ers badly need to raise more capital if they want to be able to compete in the NBL, even if it's to avoid other teams poaching the likes of Sobey, Hodgson, Drmic, Deng etc.

Please can we hire in some fresh talent and get replace basketball writer Boti Nagy. i would rather hear from someone that at least hit the court in the last twenty years at NBL level...what about Sapwell, Ninnis, Wheeler, Davis, Maher, Cattalini, Brooks, Spear...the list goes on, so much talent and we have to hear from someone who played social before the war!! Freshen up The Advertiser Basketball editorial. Spear and Ninnis do a great job in the pub news. Sports editor please take note!!