Zodiac
Years ago

Melb United: where to now?

They paid top dollar to lure Blanchfield, top dollar to retain Goulding, top dollar to sign Andersen, top dollar to lure Jackson & Wesley over from NZ and now would need to pay big money to retain Ware & Boone.

They'll need to pay for a new coach too.

Still they've developed Majok & Tomlinson so there's that.

Topic #40853 | Report this topic


Brunson  
Years ago

Developed Tomlinson.... When did that happen? Adnam is in front of him now

Reply #624559 | Report this post


lawsy  
Years ago

Like the kings- really bad both of the major city teams and with big $$ rosters failed. Quite predictable, they will make mass changes, sack coach, etc etc

Reply #624564 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Tomlinson is developed?

Reply #624571 | Report this post


Bill on the ball  
Years ago

No two ways about it. Melbourne has a huge team. The class is there but cannot gel to its advantage.

Wildcats in beating them is big. For that reason, I think Cats are the real deal. Cairns to go under next.

Reply #624582 | Report this post


Dazz  
Years ago

I don't know what everyone's contract status is, if someone is able to post that up, it would help.

I think they probably overpaid for some players, but that is only based on rumoured amounts. Plus it doesn't necessarily mean they are bad players, or not worth keeping.

Reply #624589 | Report this post


Vic Wildcat  
Years ago

Watching today, coach has to be the first to go. When in timeouts the players look disinterested, and some of his subs are baffling. Goulding was reasonably hot in the first, so he sat him in the 2nd for the first 4 minutes, could not believe it.

Blanchfield seems to have gone backwards this year, whilst the roster is talented it looks unbalanced, Anderson, Boone, Majok and Wesley are very much the same type of player, not a lot of variety there. The back court is Casper and Goulding.

Reply #624599 | Report this post


Dazz  
Years ago

Yeah, I have to say, the one thing Goulding brings is his ability to get hot and bust a game open. Yet a couple of times I've seen him bench when red-hot, then come back cold. Why not just let him play?

Reply #624602 | Report this post


Dazz  
Years ago

Can they re-sign Ware?
He's been a great addition to the NBL this season.

Is he too old to get another crack at the NBA?

Or is he good enough to earn big bucks in Europe?

Reply #624604 | Report this post


leungtl  
Years ago

Ware is certainly good enough for Europe, but didn't he come here because he wasn't enjoying it? (And to re-unite with his old buddy Andersen)

Reply #624611 | Report this post


Tom  
Years ago

United.... bust to boom to bust. Classic underachiever. Their final finishing place even though they were 13-15 tells all. Second last and although Brisbane finished behind them that was only because they were undermanned.
Melbourne were the worst defensive team in the competition by a long way.

Reply #624612 | Report this post


Air Delay  
Years ago

I never like to blame it on the coach, but in this case, that's the #1 priority.

The team had all the pieces. But everyone could see there was a certain level of disinterest in timeouts and confusion with sub rotations.

Reply #624613 | Report this post


Zodiac  
Years ago

Ware & Andersen were teammates in France last season.

Reply #624614 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Adnam should never be an NBL player EVER. It shows you how bad DD is as a Coach.

Reply #624617 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Ware is good, but I will take Cotton over him everyday of the week. Cotton not only is a deadly sniper, he can put it and create for himself and his team just ass good if not better. He is also a really good pick and roll player.

Reply #624622 | Report this post


Dazz  
Years ago

That's a bit harsh on a DP.
Clearly they lacked depth in the backcourt, but wasn't that supposed to be Moore's job?

Reply #624625 | Report this post


KET  
Years ago

Poach Randle and they'll be fine

Reply #624631 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

AGAIN AGAIN AGAIN Championships are built not bought.

Stop making excuses for them, they've under achieved the last 2 years and quit on their coach the year before that. They've apparently had the best team on paper the last 3 years, no finals, finals(out in the first round) no finals. Having talent doesn't mean s**T if it doesn't compete and work hard.

They brought in a coach that has never coached before, he was an assistant in the nba, look how much thats helped. Plus its hard when the players don't want to play for you, some of them don't even play for each other.

Vince Crivelli has to go, he's failed misebrly, he's the Phil Jackson of the nbl.

No Goorgian...Who's next?

Reply #624638 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

All they need is a coach to make sure they have players that want to win above all else. All I see when I watch MU is guys that want to win but they want to be the man more than that.

Reply #624640 | Report this post


KET  
Years ago

Championships can be bought, just need to buy right

Reply #624641 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Championships are won with chemistry & core,

Champions over the last 7 years Perth & NZ.

Reply #624644 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

ANON- Your right, but who's that coach?

Reply #624646 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Dazz you'd like to see United taking Goulding off when he's hot and putting him back on when cold? the bloke plays 32mins a game for the season and more recently as injuries have hit, give me a spell that he needs to be on longer. if he can't do what he needs to in that time then he needs to be moved on because no-one else in the league has as much of a green light.

Sack demopoulos and find guys willing to play a role. Not enough ball to go around. The one role truly good role player majok has been benched in the last few weeks even though he and Boon are the only ones who even go near the boards

Reply #624657 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

They're a selfish team, no role players. only about themselves.

Reply #624663 | Report this post


AC  
Years ago

I'm not sure of all contracts throughout the team other than a couple, so I'll just ignore them for this. The below is the current playing list from Wikipedia.


Demopolous - Give him the royal boot

Hancock (DP) - Cut
Tomlinson - Cut (should've happened years ago)
Boone - Re-sign
Adnam (DP) - Re-sign
Moore - Re-sign (unsure of status due to injury replacement)
Blanchfield - Re-sign
Anderson - Re-sign
Smith-Milner (DP) - Cut
Odigie - Cut
Barlow - Cut
Ware - Re-sign
Majok - Re-sign
Kromah - Cut (injury replacement anyway)
Wesley - Cut
Goulding - Re-sign

Reply #624668 | Report this post


ROFLcopter  
Years ago

Ahhhh, excellent.

Demopolous - Cut

Hancock (DP) - Cut
Tomlinson - Cut
Boone - Re-sign
Adnam (DP) - Re-sign
Moore - Cut
Blanchfield - Re-sign
Anderson - Re-sign
Smith-Milner (DP) - Cut
Odigie - Cut
Barlow - Cut
Ware - Re-sign
Majok - Re-sign
Kromah - Cut
Wesley - Cut
Goulding - Re-sign

Reply #624681 | Report this post


Zodiac  
Years ago

I believe Goulding & Andersen are both on two year deals, Goulding on $400k a year and Andersen on $500k-$600k a year. Pretty sure Wesley signed a two year deal too and Moore was formally released for Kromah.

Blanchfield's two year deal should now be finished, be surprised if he re-signs.

Reply #624686 | Report this post


Scopes44  
Years ago

I may get some negative feedback here, so gulp. I would keep a majority of the players on the team , however, I would change the style of play to the opposite of what they are doing. DD is horrible.
I would only want one of ware or Goulding as I deem them similar in style individual isolation type players. Despite there difference in size. I went last week and both of them tried to be too individual and I don't care they can win maybe one game themselves in a season, they need to have better rotations and production from the top 7 players on the team. A better coach would should implore Goulding to have a well rounded game as in the second half against illawarra he got others involved and worked extremely well.
Boone was a revelation and I am a fan of Wesley, however he dropped out of the rotation in last couple weeks and unsure why majok still starts. He has regressed, Wesley produced decent numbers off the bench. Andersen was and probably still is injured. He should bounce back with a full preseason.
Adnam and Tomlinson are not good enough to run a team even in backup form. If adnam could finish at the basket he would be invaluable but he's too soft. Third import was non existent and sadly Barlow is done.
Blanchfield would revel if he managed to get consistent shots otherwise taken from Goulding and ware.
Odigie wasn't used at all.
A organised offence will make a huge difference.
W

Reply #624724 | Report this post


paul  
Years ago

Blanchfield to Illawarra? Could be scary in that system and help Beveridge stop his perennial underachieving.

Reply #624730 | Report this post


MACDUB  
Years ago

Personally I think they'd benefit from stripping everything back..adopt a horses for courses approach..get players for specific roles rather than simply getting generic scorers/guys fixated on scoring i.e. Blanchfield, Wesley, Anderson etc

Stay with Ware, Goulding, Majok and Adnam. Get 1 or 2 versatile imports (i.e. Craig) and a few do it all/hustler types. Rather than the "glitter team" approach.

Reply #624731 | Report this post


Big Ads  
Years ago

Toddy back to Qld?

Reply #624741 | Report this post


Luuuc  
Years ago

Love the Todd -> Illawarra call, paul.

Reply #624746 | Report this post


AC  
Years ago

Can see Blanchfield at Illawarra and doing well.

Utd would be insane to not attempt to retain Boone (trying lock Ware is obvious), problem is I think the management are insane.

Reply #624749 | Report this post


LV  
Years ago

I hope Blanchfield goes to Illawarra or Adelaide where he could become a serious weapon. I've had enough watching him languish at United.

I believe Goulding and Andersen signed two year deals at the start of the season and will therefore return.

At the 4 spot, we have 3 guys who are very different, all deserving of minutes but none are stars. Bit of a logjam. If I was going to make some wild predictions at this very early stage...

- Blanchfield is lured elsewhere.
- Barlow retires.

Next season's roster- hopefully:

Majok
Andersen
?Import 3?
Goulding
Ware

Boone
Wesley
Odigie
Tomlinson
? New signing or import

Adnam (DP)

With a new coach and a clean run with injuries, United will challenge next season.

Reply #624756 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

"With a new coach and a clean run with injuries, United will challenge next season."

What is the new coach is another DD-like dud? Classic LVism.

Reply #624757 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

new coach > ????? > PROFIT!

Reply #624758 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

What if*

Reply #624759 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

I hope United stay the way they exactly are now. Minus the injuries and the bad attitude Cedric Jackson, they'd be in the playoffs.

Reply #624761 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

What happened to Cedric at United? He was excellent with NZ. Can someone fill me in as I wasn't watching the league closely at the start of the season.

Reply #624763 | Report this post


LV  
Years ago

[What is the new coach is another DD-like dud? Classic LVism.]

Signing Shawn Dennis, Dean Vickerman or even better Brian Goorjian would be a fairly good way to ensure that doesn't happen.

Reply #624766 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

What is it lately with all the Shawn Dennis love? I see it on every thread. There is a good reason why he had a gap of fifteen years between his head coaching stint at the Falcons and Crocs.

Reply #624768 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Agree that United could bring back the same roster but with a better coach and you could consider them strong contenders

Reply #624777 | Report this post


Zodiac  
Years ago

Melbourne chief executive Vince Crivelli confirmed a review of the team would canvas the club's three imports and its out-of-contract coach.

Demopolous wants to coach on after a semi-final exit last year and this season’s poor finish in an 18-game season with countless narrow losses.

Goulding declared he was certain to return to United on the second year of his deal after fixing an ankle that was an issue all season.

Crivelli is keen to sign American imports Casper Ware and Josh Boone after both were revelations when secured midway through the season.

They are out of contract along with Todd Blanchfield, David Barlow, Nate Tomlinson and Owen Odigie, with Goulding, Majok Majok, Tai Wesley and David Andersen still contracted.


http://www.news.com.au/sport/basketball/melbourne-united-imports-and-coach-in-firing-line-after-wasted-season/news-story/a541ef2f3d4ed2c5f101a6419757a7ae

Crivelli said of the continual Goorjian links: "This week I heard him linked to Perth and Sydney and he has been linked to us since three years ago.

“He is a legend of Australian sport so while he is around his name will come up. It makes for good reading but he’s probably sick of it and so are we."


WTF?

Reply #624803 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

WTF indeed. What a weak smokescreen re: Goorj going to PER or SYD when his family is in MEL. LOL is Crivelli that dumb?

Reply #624804 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Actually Goorji had been linked to Perth after Bevo got the cold shoulder but not sure that is true anymore. I guess if Trevor gets booted if perform go out in straight sets then maybe. I can only imagine what Goorji could do with Damien Martin as his defensive spearhead.

Reply #624805 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Perth go out in straight sets

Reply #624806 | Report this post


Johnson  
Years ago

Vickerman will be coaching United next season.

Reply #624813 | Report this post


Isaac  
Years ago

Going by Spatial Jam, the ones contracted for next season are:

Goulding
Andersen
Wesley

Definitely get Boone back. Ware if you can. Wouldn't throw the chequebook at Blanchfield - he reminds me of Weigh in Adelaide and the expectations; I think he's better as a complementary piece rather than big budget focus.

I think Cedric Jackson was the right type of player for them (or for almost any team that doesn't have Damian Martin!).

Wesley seems on the outer recently?

Reply #624829 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Far too much ISO ball from Goulding and Ware in the games I watched. The offense was consistently either a high on ball into a contested three from Ware or Goulding. Or a dump into the post without a ball reversal for Andersen.

They have decent role players in Majok and Blanchfield, but they were under utilized.

If you shoot the most threes in the competition maybe you want to be better than third worst at shooting them... or worse.

Reply #624831 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Gaze has a 3 year contract Vince.

Reply #624832 | Report this post


Callisto 26  
Years ago

Sack Crivelli...or at least stop letting him make basketball decisions. Great job off the court but on...result speak for themselves.

Track record at Sandringham and now United on the basketball front is not that desirable

Reply #624843 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

What is his Sandringham track record?

Reply #624845 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

When do we get the over the salary cap numbers, both Sydney and Melbourne will be interesting considering their seventh and sixth finish.

Reply #624848 | Report this post


Maxymoo  
Years ago

They've got a great core they just need a couple more workman and it's all been said ...I'm sure DD can coach but he has made some baffling decisions.

If it was me in the hot seat the drastic change with current playing patterns is one of Goulding or Ware to come off the bench ...probably Chris (assuming he can approach it in the right way mentally).

When both Ware/CG sit - MU just lose focus, I'd rather have 1 of them out there for the entire game.

On the import mix ....Ware has been great but with Majok and Andersen can you really say Boone is a priority - esp that his price will now be right up there? I'd go Ware, a versatile swing man more a 3-4 (e.g Craig) and then just a best available...to be honest I'd be looking more at someone who can play D more than shoot the ball as that is what the lack.

They need an upgrade at back up point ...surely a veteran aussie guard could be lured to clock Rhys Martin type minutes?

Reply #624857 | Report this post


MidRange  
Years ago

Really it all comes down to the coach. Anstey was a good choice back a while ago being able to create a real sense of community by being a former player as well with DMac. Demo preached the good stuff but he never could quite adapt to the nbl rules and never seemed to respect the competition enough.
The biggest fault was underusing Majok and Blanch in the offense. Majok lost all confidence he never knew when he was actually going to recieve the ball on p/r plays hence all the fumbling. Need a coach who can control gouldings iso sponser label 3ball.

Reply #624953 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

"Anstey was a good choice back a while ago"

um what?

Reply #624956 | Report this post


MidRange  
Years ago

Culture wise yes.

Reply #625109 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Well on Awards night straight to the bar for a bit of Goulding Shimmy. LOL

Reply #625118 | Report this post


Tom  
Years ago

Their basic problem was defence, giving up penetration, conceding on ball switches,
Too many leadfoots. Anderson, Majok, Balow (hard to believe), Wesley Boone.

Ware was a tough defender, Goulding average, Blanchfield average (certainly not up to defending a stud like Prather).
The balance of the team has never been right. Of course it changed when Ware arrived. But as a team they give up too many easy buckets or foul too much.

Ware Boone sign now.
Blanchfield and Goulding too similar although Goulding more versatile because he can go to the hoop.
Boone, Majok, Anderson only room for two.
Tomlinson, Adnam hard to work out what heir role was.
Odigie now he can defend and he was under-utilised. So what if he can't shoot. Barlow can shoot but gives up twice as much at the other end, and he just plays with no energy.
Wesley fell out of favour as season progressed. He at least went to the hoop. But defensively just a fouling machines.
That's the trouble with buying up talent. Chemistry goes out the window.
Once they figured out what Ware was capable of I would have sorted out some sort of on ball strategy in man and played some zone to hide half the team.
Player wise, realising there are ego's and contract status pecking order.
Ware. Tomlinson or Adnam at 1 spot.
Goulding, Blanchfield,at 2.
Odigie, Barlow at 3. Maybe Blanchfield could have some time dependent on opposition.
Anderson, Wesley at 4
Majok, Boone at 5
And I would have stuck with that rotation and made the players accept it.
The game is so easy from the couch.

Reply #625173 | Report this post


coach  
Years ago

I think it is interesting that both JVG (Sydney) and VC (United) were heavily involved with the Melbourne Tigers teams that were notoriously poor at defense. Perhaps both should be less involved in basketball operations and decisions about personnel.

Reply #625175 | Report this post




You need to be a registered user to post from this location. Register here.



Close ads
Little Streaks - The fun and interactive good-habits app designed especially for kids.
Serio: Tourism photography and videography

Advertise on Hoops to a very focused, local and sports-keen audience. Email for rates and options.

Recent Posts



.


An Australian basketball forum covering NBL, WNBL, ABL, Juniors plus NBA, WNBA, NZ, Europe, etc | Forum time is: 7:24 pm, Tue 19 Mar 2024 | Posts: 968,026 | Last 7 days: 754