I'm actually really looking forward to the season. I'd rather stability and gradual progress in the league than what's plagued the sport in the past. Twitter had lots of photos of the launch, got to watch live stats of all Blitz games, with streaming to come.

Basketball just will not get the coverage of an AFL pre-season comp and fans need to get used to that for a while.

Money has got nothing to do with the imports ability.
Hawks have recruited 2 of the best imports for a low wage in Ervin and McKee. Last year Deleon was earning less than some 8th men in the league.
Money doesnt necessarily translate to a top performing import. There have been NBA credentialed players sacked from this league for not performing too

That's correct. Fans need to head to the various sites, Twitter, Facebook (I assume), etc. Newspapers are largely deserting basketball and doubling their efforts on the top tier. Be glad you're not following table tennis or korf ball.

I think its a bit of a travesty to call 2012/13 "just another year"...

Ok, lets look at what we just finnished last year.. the most watched and talked about grand final series in a decade.. season memberships going up in all teams.. sure, the unplesantness of losing the blaze... and we saw Perth once again become a hotbed for the game and New Zealand really get behind there team

Whats already happening this year?

DECENT Free to air coverage... A 9.30 game on Friday and a Sunday Arvo Live game on channel 10. we cannot expect better FTA TV coverage then that. that is amazing when you consider all of the sports (outside of cricket and football) that would KILL for that kind of coverage... this is as close to 1990's hey day coverage as you could really get.

NBL.TV.. one would hope that this is promoted on the games you see on Ten. If so, it should do ok and get the NBL some more cash. I think it was a great move and should make the season far more immersive for the fans... and is cheap enough that even casual fans may get on board IF PROMOTED...

So with just thoes 2 things there is potential to get new fans. where will these fans come from? well almost half a million Australians play the sport, so its not as if there isnt an inbuilt fanbase for the league.. its just that thoes who dont follow the NBL seem to have a stigma to it, they just cant accept watching a league that isnt the NBA... I know my brother is the same, however he was given free tickets to a game.. and before long hes got a season membership and watches every game that comes on TV, It takes time for NBL to grow on you, it took time to grow on me.. hwoever after a while it does.. and you begin to see how in many ways the league has its own play style and is in its own right the equal to the best leagues in the world (outside of NBA). fans of the actual sport in Australis SHOULD get behind it... It just takes having to see it a bit, and just by the fact that its on TV alot more from now on, the casual observer would just assume its atleast doing 'better'

Imports are fairly average this year I must say

Another good thing is Perths new massive purpose built 10 thou seat stadium.. there will be many nights where they will fill it up. and that will look very good for the game and the league.

Nice post Hurls. I think by reasonable estimates the league will average crowds of 4500-5000 this year, which would be a 50% improvement on some years in the 2000s.

The big challenge is getting clubs to be sustainable, but in terms of TV, crowds and memberships things are moving in the right direction.

Re imports, with the extra Aussie talent available due to less teams most are going with one good import and one role player, with Adelaide and Perth having enough local talent to have only one import.

We were definitely spoilt with a very good import crop last year, 14 of 17 had excelled in Div1 college and/or good European leagues.

Once the base is consolidated, where do they go from there? If they want to "grow" the sport, they need to get people from outside the basketball community to be involved.

I don't think that's necessarily true. Would be ideal, but there is still a huge market of basketball people (juniors, NBA fans, etc) who aren't at NBL games that are cheaper and easier to reach. In practice, at least.

Beyond that, it's not a static sporting landscape. Other sports, changes in media ownership (see what happened with One HD), various rises and falls in trends. Going to be tough to supplant AFL, cricket, rugby (in the East) and then things like tennis and swimming, etc.

I always think back to the crowd for Smyth's last game as coach. That wasn't with an exceptional TV deal or team stability or great performances by Adelaide. Just showed that the fans are out there for the key cities if you give them reason to come.

Stability, then steady improvement. Going to take a while to shake the negative associations that have dogged the sport recently - see the SMH article about the season launch as an example. Two leagues get together and launch what should be a great season, live streaming of each game for the first time, and the article is about past clubs dying.

Keneally is trying not to bring an NBA presence as a once-off, but a regular thing. That won't hurt in regaining some interest outside the core fanbase.

Gradual improvement, then profit and maybe build player profile and strength, work towards getting name players or even just keeping our best locals and imports. I don't think they can afford to be reckless after the past troubles.

It's hard to say what this year is really. Good additions include the All-Star game an NBL TV. But I'd happily see both those forgone (seeing I won't use NBL TV) to see at LEAST a few more teams in the league, if not on the horizon, or some marquee signings. The blokes running the NBL must be sitting back, looking at the A-League signings and thinking "shit". This loss of the Gold Coast Blaze really sucks too. Just as the NBL looked to finally be off their asses and taking some steps forward with expansion, we lose a team.

Unfortunately, all this good work seems to have been undone by the loss of the Blaze and the improvement of the A-League. So yes, it is just anothe year...

only part of the A League you need to know about is that it collectively lost over $30 mill last year. The Del Piero stunt is their last roll of the dice

Myles, thats the stupidest crap I have ever heard. Because YOU wont be using NBL.TV you would be happy for it to be "forgone" for more teams!?!? Have you rocks in your head?

The whole reason we have been losing teams is due to there lack of stability, and the whole reason we havent taken more on board is due to them not meeting certain criteria that would imply that they will be succesful and sustainable. Sure, we could make another 3 teams for ya Myles... But all 3 would probably fold next year and the league would look all that much worse for it and would be in a terrible, terrible state... would you like that? I'd say that is purely idiotic

In regards to NBL.TV.. it IS a HUGE revolution, Its an Australian first... how often does the NBL make a positiive Australian first that other sports codes will try to emulate? it just hasnt happened before.. 3000 people are already signed up to join... whats 3 thou times 59? its alot of money comming into the league and thats only the people who are pre-signed right now. At such a cheap rate, you could expect the amount could go up to 5 or 10 thousand as the season draws on.

CHannel 10. Sunday Afternoon game... enough said!


Just another year????? Ha! yeah just because we dont have new teams ready to fold... strange justification that

Dude seriously may as well ask Big Jim Havrilla to come back and play in the NBL.
As an avid NBL fan since the late 80's I have been watching guys like Adonis Jordan, Doug Overton and Andre Lafleur have short stints in the league.
Bring back 12 minute quaters for gods sake. Imports are not supposed to be role players.
I love the NBL and will always support it but you have no idea how boring it is to watch 10 minute games with White Guys(No Racial Pun Intended)jacking up jump shots all game and imports putting up 7-10 PPG it is so boring.
What about all the records set over the years what motivation will any player have to go out and try and break some of tehse records with 8 minutes less in which to do it?
This is the entertainment industry and lets face it this brand of basketball is simply not entertaining.
Even when we had guys like Darnell Hinson and Corey Williamsin the league there was more buzz. 12 minute quaters guys and lets gets some personalities in our league.