Crocs4Life
Years ago

Update from Crocs coach Shawn Dennis

Just saw this on the Crocs website: http://www.crocodiles.com.au/article/id/8eli6wo3q1ra11obq1zw6toqc

An update from the new head coach - Shawn dennis.

Sounds like their pre-season is going well and even better I reckon their import signing is a good one.

Josh Pace was leading scorer in the NZ NBL this season and just played in the grand final. Which was against Nelson. Brian Conklin plays for them and I've heard rumours about him being the other import signing which would be awesome. If it's true that means we have good imports and a solid team.

After all the changes in the off season I was a bit worried about our team. So i'm happy to see everything is coming together on and off the court.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

I'm more concerned with the lack of players signed.

Crawford
Holmes
Markovic
Djeric
Pace

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Crocs4Life  
Years ago

You forgot
Hinder
Blanchfield
Norton

which makes 8.

Plus i've heard their other import is Brian Conklin which makes 9.

So we just need a 5 man now.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Norton was before the collapse which made all contracts null and void and AFAIK Hinder & Blanchfield haven't been announced.

Neither has a second import.

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Crocs4Life  
Years ago

nah pretty sure they are definitely signed. it's just the import and 10th spot now.

if what i've read around the traps is true - the 2nd import just hasn't been announced.


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Mick  
Years ago

Blanchfield and Norton have indeed been re-signed and announced officially.

Brian Conklin has agreed to terms and they are just finalising paperwork according to several news reports.

The massive gaping hole is the starting centre position which has to be a 9 point player or less, ruling out a Luke Nevill return. Barring the signature of Julian Khazzouh, it's going to be a big problem for the Crocs.

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Mick  
Years ago

I do like the rhetoric I'm hearing from Dennis so far. He's talking about roster balance and people accepting roles and bringing in guys who know what it takes to win. At this stage yeah it's all talk but I like the cut of his jib.

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Mystro  
Years ago

Josh Pace can only go left.
Conklin is a nothing too flashy blue collar type but is undersized for the 4 but didn't seem to mind tussling with Mika Vukona in the NZNBL Final last night.

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Mick  
Years ago

Pace won't be asked to do to much, just add a bit of scoring in the paint and play D, from a sixth man role by the looks of the roster (but who knows what Dennis has planned). Will be one of the few guys on this team who can create his own shot so will be relied on a bit to get points off his own back when things stagnate, which will test him.

Hopefully Conklin is the kind of infectious player whose energy and activity rubs off on the rest of the team. If we get an also-rans centre then pressure will all be on him to score inside and carry the post on both ends, but if we get a stud then very little pressure on him other than scrapping, bumping, playing hard and cleaning the offensive glass. It won't be fair on him IMO to be the sole inside presence, so hopefully Dennis and Reidy have an ace up their sleeve for that last signing. He might have to carry the world on his shoulders if the last signee is not an offensive threat because Holmes and Hinder cannot score in the paint.

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Mystro  
Years ago

"scrapping, bumping, playing hard and cleaning the offensive glass."

that has Conklin's name written all over it from what I saw in last nights game.

Pace only goes left but has a knack of still getting to his left despite his defnder doing all he can to force him to his right.
TeRangi & Henry played good D on him in the first half but let him back in the game a little in the second before Henare dropped about 10 F bombs in the timeout and started calling players "Soft Cocks" haha

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Both imports are solid. There's better ones out there but there's worse ones as well! As long as their centre is good they should contend for the playoffs

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Mick  
Years ago

Yeah I think they will both be very affordable which is a big factor for a club on the fiscal rebuild...

Waiting for the centre announcement like a kid on christmas eve....

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Yea the starting C will be interesting, a make or break move, but given the budget they would be working with a playoff team would be a massive effort, i just hope they play a good brand of basketball, unearth/unleash some good talent including the imports and play hard every minute of every game even if losing.

Whats the best case starting C for the crocs? Bairstow?

At worse i like the idea of signing Vanderjagt and Dowdell and having them fight with hinder for playing time and the starting C spot, not ideal but probably the best you can do if no real proven starting player is available.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

I also wouldn't mind bairstow but he has one more year of college. I'm a fan of a vanderjagt/dowdell/hinder centre combo

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Anonymous  
Years ago

the team will be conklin at 5, holmes 4, blanchfiled PC & Markovic

mirko pace norton hinder and whoever off the bench

theyll have to be hard working because they are small and limited with talent. Dennis is the perfect coach for this style

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Mystro  
Years ago

There is no way Conklin can play the 5.
He's a small 4 for the Southland Sharks (solid at least and doesn't shy from contact but a bit niggly) and they ran 6.10" Gareth Dawson at the 5.

If they plan on playing Conklin at the 5 expect a wooden spoon.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Spot on mystro surely they will find someone a half decent Aussie over 6'8"

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Mick  
Years ago

Mystro is right. Crocs may as well not even lace them up if they are going to trot out Conklin at the five. He is undersized for the PF position.

The other reason this will be an abject failure is that it will mean we will once again be relying on consistent big production from Rusty Hinder, who at this point should be playing as an end of the bench guy on a decent team. It's not fair on Rusty because he's not up to it and you will just see fans turn on him when he can't deliver.

I very highly doubt Pat Reidy will sign off on that after witnessing first hand the disaster that was last season (and the whole mess was primarily due to a poor front court).

Is this Gareth Dawson bloke a possibility? How would his game translate to the aussie NBL?

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Gareth Dawson 205cm, 24yo kiwi forward /centre has been a development player with Wollongong has played with Conklin in NZBL so could play well together in Townsville??

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Statsheet Stuffer  
Years ago

Last I heard re: Vanderjagt's playing career, he was done. He actually had a desk job for Basketball Queensland as an ambassador or something to that effect before his last Crocs contract That was just to be a temporary thing to help the team out. So I'm not even sure he'd want to get back into the NBL, even if given the chance.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Is this Gareth Dawson bloke a possibility? How would his game translate to the aussie NBL?


He averaged 0.3ppg @ 25% and 0.2rpg in 6 games with the Taipans in 2010/11.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

If cant find anyone better or get someone like Neville id be trying to get Nick Horvath, not ideal but he seems to be the best C who is affordable and not currently on a NBL roster. I think he is teaching in NZ so may not be interested but would be worth finding out imo.

My plan b would then be something along the lines of both Dowdell and Vanderjagt to fight it out with Hinder for minutes.

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Isaac  
Years ago

Vanderjagt it is. New topic started for him.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

I think Markovic will play most of his minutes in the 2 as he did all through the juniors. He is big enough to play the 2 in Australia and is a natural scorer.

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Mick  
Years ago

Considering he and mitch are the only pgs on the roster, I highly doubt you will see steve playing most of his minutes at the two.

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ziah  
Years ago

With Djeric being a combo guard, and Pace able to handle the ball, I think the load will be shared fine between those three plus Norton. Maybe not most of his mins, but I would say anywhere up to half of them, sure, depending on the game etc.

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