Hoops

Extra NBL import spot for NBL1 imports?

They aren’t bad, it’s just the nature of the NBL where if you don’t put the effort in on game night, if you don’t getting things clicking you will lose no matter who you play.

The NBL is competitive, the talent is there, the parity is always a question to be raised but the fact it hasn’t been so clearly prevalent over the years is due to incredible efforts of Hawks of the past, cairns of today and the Joey Wrights during an extended period

Addition of new teams is reason enough to include a third import.

Phoenix came into a great situation where Creek and Madgen were available so they could score their core aussie stars without needing to poach from other teams or wait until contracts finish.

The hope will be when Tasmania enters the extra salary available will help draw some more Australians back into the league. They are more likely to have to poach and pay premium to draw some good core aussie talent.

"Yeah that's why Phoenix are 2nd last. Good thing there is parity in the League"

I look forward to reading your discussion about how the standard of the league has dropped this season.

Great idea, for the third import slot, rather than allowing a fourth import

"All of those players are better than froling and his brother"

And this is why the Froling's and other young players need more court time.

"And with only 2 imports who's to say teams wont still get a dud import? "

Then sack him and get another. Simple.

"... it means Australians are getting more playing time..."

No. More imports being in the league, by definition, means Australians are getting less court time.

I preferred the NBL when there were more "boring" Australian players.

Another nbl1 or nba stash spot now going back down to 3 imports in 8-10 years when there is more quality aus/kiwi stock.

With over 10-20 retirements this year and next, we don’t have many that can fill the void apart from the players from nba, Europe or college that will come back to the nbl each year.

How many ncaa college kids will be in nbl next year?, 1 or 2....
How many nba guys come back?, maybe 1.
G league guys, 1, maybe 2.
Euro guys, 2-4 possibly.
Nbl1 guys who make the leap into nbl? 1-3 normally.

Next year, about the same expectation of 6-10 new guys coming in.
Another team in tassie 21/22 season. Need 10 more guys.

There's a few factors at play here: 1) Standard of talent; 2) Standard of depth; 3) Salary expenditure; 4) Local contingent for that Australian connection to its own league

The third import provides the cheapest way to get a talented player, particularly for guards/forwards. This is clear. If this was not the case, teams would use a local aussie instead of an import.

If you take that away, either you're decreasing overall depth - which is something valuable about the NBL opposed to places like China - or you still have to spend more money to get the Aussie euro players. Increasing expenditure (unsustainably) isn't something we should be wanting clubs to do in the midst of a full-on arms war.

The NBL wants all four of those factors, having that third import means added depth to the league because teams can spend less to achieve that 4th/5th decent player on their roster, the money saved can be used to spend more to attract Australians from overseas.

They have also increased the rosters from 10 to 11 to ensure there are a decent number of Australian spots and opportunities to develop Australians.

This is an area I think the NBL have actually done a really good job in balancing those four important factors.

So what do most teams spend on their imports total?

Between 500k for all 3 if you're someone like the Hawks OR in excess of 2 million of you're someone like Melbourne.

I'd love to see us drop back to 2 imports to open up one more spot on each roster for a local & if teams then spent 2 mil on 2 imports instead of stretching it across 3 spots, wouldn't we get EVEN better imports AND more opportunity for key locals in each team? Maybe also freeing up more dollars to chase other quality Aussies balling in Europe, G League & other places?

"People forget that there are guys in the same category as Cooks and Magden, playing in Europe, who will come home for the right opportunity."

Remember also that those players could be playing here, now, as marquee locals if teams offered them enough money. Every second and subsequent marquee local reduces the number of imports the team can have, though. Given teams are choosing third imports over additional marquee locals, you can take it they're not paying marquee rates for those third imports. So those third imports are just replacing Australian and NZ based locals. Any further imports would just replace more such locals.

Remember also that teams can already have a fourth import, if they're from an Asian/Oceanian country approved by the NBL. That's how Wesley originally entered the league and how Singh got on the Sydney roster a few seasons back. So any increase in import limits would mean six team spots could be filled by overseas players.

The NBL risks becoming simply a poor man's NBA if the local content is further diluted.

The poster who said 2 imports would be "boring as batshit" must not have been around in the 90s.

People forget that there are guys in the same category as Cooks and Magden, playing in Europe, who will come home for the right opportunity.
At the other end you've got guys like Dech, who robably wouldn't have a spot if not for expansion, Then you have guys like Poziglou and Travers, who could be holding an 11th man slot.

"Look at the top 10 players in the league. 7 will be imports. "

How many are the team's third import?

"2 imports would be as boring as bat shit."

Yeah, we all know those third imports - guys like Benson, Sigler, Ramone Moore, Taylor and Hobson are the guys keeping the league alive

The next stars will not last, it’ll become nba draftee stash players like louzada.
Given how much rotation there is and injuries over a season, I’d be happy with 3 imports plus 1 young draftee and the rest locals, but there has to be more teams not less imports.

IMO
3 imports(not on salary cap) + 1 nbl1 import or nba draft n stash + 8 Aussie/Kiwis + minimum 3 Aussie/Kiwi DP

12 teams before 2025.

If that was the case, teams would go local instead of a third import.

Which Australians are there at the moment that are third import standard and would accept third import pay?

Disagree. Australia has quality talent who could contribute at NBL standard if given the opportunity, that's shown each year as new players step up to the level. We've added a new team this year without diminishing the standard.

Issue with taking on locals instead is it reduces the quality of talent in the competition.

Australia is in a lucky position where we have 50-60 really good Australians in the NBL and a few more abroad who could conceivably be brought back to the NBL, this allows the competition to remain predominantly Australian while being one of the best leagues in the NBL talent wise.

"Budget imports" and next stars are simply taking the place of locals. Sure, the next stars are an "extra" roster spot, but their minutes come at the expense of Australians and Kiwis.

2 Imports is enough.

Go back to strictly 2 imports. Give Aussies and Kiwis an opportunuty to play. Naar has shown how opportunity to play is key to development

It's a bit ridiculous if you can manage 5 Americans on a court. Three classic imports is right, and the next stars has been a marketable/reputation success so we can accept 4 but that really is the limit.

Yeah, this was discussed pre-LK regarding guys like Massingale, but now that there's a third import it would just be excessive.

Perth did it for years, but it was ok then. Lol.

^ Sydney working on it already.

3 imports is more than enough.

Images from Saturday afternoon's game
Lightning v Townsville SF