Hoops

Froling to enter NBA draft

"Europe opportunities rely on Parentage? What? No, it depends on how good you are."

Sorry anon, D2.0 was actually spot on. If you have a local passport you can just be an ok pro and find a league in Europe where you can play, there is a huge spectrum of standard across the continent. If you have to play as an import, then it largely comes down to how good you are.

Not listed on the early draft list I looked at, McDowell White is there but no Froling.

Another good example is Greg Monroe, who has only just landed a 10-day contract. In the 90s or early 2000s he'd be a 20-10 guy

Correct, but hardly surprising as the NBL is the premier puppyfat league in the world.

Is it just me but does Froling need to hit the gym hard. Carrying way to much puppy fat, he'd get left behind running up and down the floor.

I thought I read a comment that Froling was heading to the USA to prepare for the draft and that he'd withdrawn from the nznbl

But then today I saw He was playing 3 X 3

Another good example is Greg Monroe, who has only just landed a 10-day contract. In the 90s or early 2000s he'd be a 20-10 guy

Angus ^^ spot on.

If Boban played in the 90s he'd be an All Star with his size, efficiency and rebounding % all off the charts, but some games they literally can't put him on the court.

He might as well give it a shot. Weaker players have been drafted in the past.

I think his highlight reel from last season would advertise him well. Good spread of skills and confidence for his age and size.

To be fair, the good teams in the NBA do play D. The game is skewered in a way that basically eliminates perimeter defense, but bigs need to be able to guard pick and rolls against elite athletes and that's what has killed traditional bigs more than anything else. 15-20 years ago Kanter would have been a 38 minute a night big putting up about 25-15 a game. In today's NBA if he gives you 25 points in 35 minutes, he probably cost you 30 on the other end.

Great news!

This time last year people on these boards were making similar "no chance" remarks about his chances of playing NBA.

* Isaac

Today Issac Humphries signed a 10 day contract with the Atlanta Hawks

Aside from the fact that Froling is more than big enough for the C anywhere, suggesting he needs to be able to play the 4 suggests a deep lack of understanding of the modern NBA. If you're anything close to a 4-5 tweener these days, you're going to spend most of your time in the middle.

From the limited amount I saw Froling this season he looks a good prospect. It is certainly harder for big guys these days but he's young and has good fundamentals and I think he has a chance to make it some day, if not next season.

D2.0 wow.....lack of knowledge is no excuse to make such bold suggestions. “Humphries is a lot bigger” Harry is 6’11. GLeague is a good good for them financially....no, it’s an opportunity. Europe opportunities rely on Parentage? What? No, it depends on how good you are.

Harry is 20, and had a great season as a rookie compared with any other. You e just written on a 6’11 20 y/o that can already compete at the NBL level.

I’m glad you’re not in basketball development or coaching.

Wait you lost me Angus when you suggested that they play defence in the NBA

I think it's a stretch,
referring to Froling as a Stretch Big.

He can get away with playing Centre in the NBL, becuase on average our Centres are much smaller, or much slower. Just like Matty Knight did for years.
No way Froling makes it to the NBA.
Unless he could play PF.
But again he could probably get away with that here, but not in the NBA.

European opportunities often rely on your parentage, and ability to get a European passport.

Humphries is a lot bigger, and more versatile.

Back when it was the D League, I know the pay was peanuts. Guys like Ennis smartly chose to spend time down here (especially back in the boom when our dollar was stronger.)

What's the pay like now that it's the G League?
For guys like Froling and Humphries, it's probably not a bad gig.

NBA*

Can't wait to see what sort of compensation Adelaide will demand from his NNA side while holding him ransome

He's more suited to playing in Europe, stretch bigs who aren't very mobile can't really play in the NBA unless they are absolutely elite which he's not. If he's smart he could work his up to the top European clubs within a few years and have a great career and big $$ earnings. Maybe he gets drafted second round and gets stashed in Europe?

Froling will play with the 36ers next season, as he is contracted to do so. Even if he was to sneak into the 2nd round, the teams would be happy to allow him to finish his contract.

He’ll get a look. Hard to imagine him being able to play D in today’s NBA.

He’s a chance, not many centres in this years draft. Heard he sacked Heal and went to US agent.

I think he goes the G League route.

I can not see him being a lottery pick and then it remains; does he get drafted in the second round, or attend a veteran camp and sign a two way G League contract. Very much like Isaac Humphries.

He is better than Humphries and could blow up the G League before getting an opportunity. Good luck to him but if I were the 36ers, I would be planning for life without Froling next year.

How to Stop the ‘Flop’

Flopping has rapidly increased over the past five years as a topic of discussion that has angered fans. Basketball players who deliberately trick referees into making calls against their opponent is becoming more and more popular as they continually get rewarded for it. I don’t believe issuing a technical foul on the spot is the right way to go about it. This just increases the referees influence over the game and is another split second decision they will have to make. Most flopping situations are 50/50 calls on the spot which leaves plenty of room for error if the referees are expected to make a decision. Officiating is hard enough as it is, we should not be putting more pressure on the umpires.
Here is my step by step solution to solving the flopping issue in the NBA.

1.Firstly, the NBA needs to set up a Match Review Panel much like the AFL (only hopefully this one will be slightly more successful). This should be headed by Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations for the National Basketball Association, Stu Jackson. Jackson is the man in charge of all on-court operations specifically including officiating, game conduct and discipline. He is the man who initiates league-wide press releases in regards to player suspensions and fines. This panel should be made up of Jackson and 4 other members. I believe past players and coaches should be targeted to fill the other four spots.

2.The league must then release a detailed explanation of what is regarded as flopping. I would expect it be something along the lines of ‘any attempt to persuade an official into making a call where circumstances did not warrant that call and excessive overreaction to garner referees attention in on-court altercations’. Obviously this explanation needs to be far more detailed but that would be the basis. All players, coaches, referees and game officials should be specifically notified of the explanation as well as the repercussions.

3.As I previously stated, the NBA should be taking as much pressure off referees as possible. If an incident in-game occurs the referee should call it as he sees it. If at any point throughout the game a referee sees that a player may have flopped he should either notify the bench or note it in a pocket note book at the next dead ball. This gives the referee the opportunity to officiate the game as he sees it and have confidence that regardless of the call the player will be punished if he does in fact flop. All incidents would then be referred to the Match Review Panel for in depth review and analysis.

4.The Match Review Panel would then make a decision based on the referees game call and video analysis. If the player is deemed to have not flopped the issue is thrown out and the referee comes under no scrutiny. If the player is considered to have flopped then this goes on his player record and a penalty would apply. If there is not enough video evidence to make a decision, the incident is thrown out.

5.The penalty system I would incorporate is a 3 strikes system. If a player is deemed to have flopped, his first 2 flops incur a public statement of infringement issued by Stu Jackson. Upon his third offence a player is suspended for one game without pay. Every offence after that warrants another one game without pay suspension, including playoff games, until the end of the season. Not only is the player suffering financially, his team suffers by not having him on the floor, he is publicly embarrassed and develops a reputation as a flopper.

Despite the very strict repercussions for flopping I think this is the best way to eliminate it from the NBA. There is no added pressure for referees, each incident can be individually accounted for and players not only must accept fines and suspensions but public humiliation among fans and peers. Other leagues could employ similar tactics although I don’t see them enduring the same success that the NBA could.


I have a couple of picture to go with my article as well as some other interesting articles on my blog:

http://allthingsballing.blogspot.com.au/