Tuesday, June 21, 2011

BABY BOOMERS

WHY AREN'T OUR BEST ON THE FLOOR?

This week the Boomers have been preparing for the YouYi (friendly) games which are to be played in Perth and Singapore against China. Brett Brown has made his way back from America to put his team through their paces in preparation for the Olympic game qualifiers. 

You wouldn't think playing for your country was that important though seeing there is only 3 players from the 2010 World Championship group playing. I would understand totally if there were other commitments going on, but there isn't. All the European competitions are finished up along with the NBA (which may not even go ahead in 2011/12) and still our big guns are no where to be seen. I mean Andrew Bogut, Joe Ingles and Patty Mills all seem to be in the country over this weekend, why don't they have a run? Give the fans something to be excited about! 

Where is Brad Newley, Aleks Maric, Steve Markovic, David Andersen and Matt Nielsen? Why is Nathan Jawai not at the camp? Khazzouh gets his first chance to play for Australia and decides not to be available. I know if I was in his position I'd be jumping at the opportunity to play for my country. It seems to becoming less and less important in Australian basketball. I know in all our other major sports in this country, athletes would die to compete for the green and gold. 

I've got nothing against the guys in camp at the moment (some of them I call friends) but that group is not upto international standard. We haven't done well in an international tournament in many many years. Why when we have all the pieces are we not making it compulsary to be available when there are camps or tournaments. We can't just let our elite athletes stroll in whenever they feel free too. It shouldn't work like that but it sure is at the moment. I don't know who is letting it but it's got to change and do so quickly, otherwise another first round knockout is on the cards at the Olympics.

I'm glad the game is being held in Perth, they love their hoops over there. I'm pretty much guaranteeing that if it was in Sydney there would be nobody there. There is no marketing material on that team, no names people can associate with. It doesn't mean they're no good it's just that basketball isn't as big as some of our countries other sports. That is why these events are key in bringing people to the games and showing the country we have some world wide elite athletes. 

I don't know New Zealands team but if we don't bring a good team to the Oceania Qualifications we may not even make the Olympics!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

SYDNEY KINGS ROSTER NEEDS BOOSTING

 SPEND SOME CASH TURNER!

I've been looking at the NBL website every couple of days for the last two weeks now hoping to see a couple of big name signings for the Sydney Kings. Again I'm disappointed in the inability to snap up big names when they are on the market.

The Melbourne Tigers went on the hunt straight away picking up Daniel Dillon, Ayinde Ubaka and Ron Dorsey. They've picked themselves three quality players who helped Cairns get to a game three of a finals series last season. Perth have signed Damian Martin, K-Lisch, Cameron Tovey, Jesse Wagstaff and Brad Robbins.

The Sydney Kings have signed Khazzouh, Graeme Dann, Luke Martin, Luke Cooper and Aaron Bruce. I'd say we need three of them (in bold). Why on earth after last years shenanigans would you sign three point guards? We need a import point guard! I'm positive that's what all the fans were hoping for this season. If I were Bob Turner I would be throwing all my money at Gary Ervin and Adam Ballinger. The Kings would be a force next year if they could get those two. We would have two of the premier big man in the competition and the MVP. You could then build around them with the likes of Dann, Martin, Knight and another import as Ballinger is an aussie.

If Turner stopped being a tight-arse the Kings would enjoy some success. I have nothing against Cooper and Bruce but the roster isn't big enough for three point guards.

My Kings team for next season:

Khazzouh/Pero Vasiljevic (if unsigned)/Greg Vanderjagt
Ballinger/Knight
Import/Dann
Magden/??? (Weigh or Hill would have been great off the bench but got snapped up by other clubs!)
Ervin/Martin

These are my thoughts on next seasons Kings team. What are yours?