Anonymous
Years ago

United to "strongly" contribute to equalisation

Comments from Jeff Van Groningen:

"Van Groningen also labelled every member of United's anticipated starting line-up a "legitimate NBA-calibre player."

“There is no need to apologise for putting together a super team but understand they are a super team," Van Groningen told NBL Media.

“They are categorically a super team and they are going to contribute strongly to the salary equalisation subsidy scheme.

“Melbourne’s starting five is extraordinary. They are easily the strongest five we've seen in the contemporary NBL,” Van Groningen said.

Topic #41815 | Report this topic


Anonymous  
Years ago

Maybe they should contribute the same as Sydney did last year with the Kings star studded line up. :) JVG looking for excuses already.

Reply #647507 | Report this post


LV  
Years ago

JVG goes max on the hype dial sometimes.

Good on him, gets people talking.

But of course, we basketball fans know that Yes, Boone and Andersen are NBA calibre players....or, er....were 7 years ago!

Reply #647513 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Andersen was still playing NBA calibre basketball at last year's olympics

Reply #647514 | Report this post


Zodiac  
Years ago

And then played NBL role player calibre at Melbourne United.

Yes, it's a loaded NBL team but JVG is on drugs making that statement. They don't even have one NBA calibre player.

Reply #647516 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

don't confuse calibre of players with totally failing to make good use of them. 'nba calibre' is tossed around too freely yes but the point is that is a mega stacked nbl team.

Reply #647517 | Report this post


Melbourne Boy  
Years ago

If they were "NBA Calibre" they'd be in the NBA, the veterans minimum salary is more than the entire United players salaries combined.

Reply #647518 | Report this post


LV  
Years ago

The NBA is all about right place, right time.

If Ware, CG43 or Prather impressed in a tryout- they could conceivably be good enough to get a roster spot. Like Torrey Craig did.

So could Bryce Cotton. Potentially Sobey. Potentially Mitch Creek, at a stretch. AJ Ogilvy if he had a more reliable jump shot.

So it's not ridiculous to call those three "NBA calibre". Boone and Andersen though- definitely not anymore.

Reply #647519 | Report this post


Melbourne Boy  
Years ago

From United, yes Prather and Ware would be considered borderline for a 2-way contract like Craigs, thats still not guaranteed to play in the NBA.

To call the whole starting 5 NBA Calibre, no, Boone and Anderson are well past that, and Goulding is not even close.

Reply #647520 | Report this post


Zodiac  
Years ago

It's ridiculous in that there isn't NBA interest in them and unlike Craig didn't play as well as he did at SL.

Reply #647521 | Report this post


LV  
Years ago

By NBA standards Goulding lacks athleticism and speed, and would get exposed defensively.

But he's one of an extremely small numbers of players around the world who has legitimate range that extends well outside the NBA 3 point line. That's an elite niche skill that could be useful in NBA.

Given he's 30 next year, his time may be passing him by, but if he can make small improvement defensively, and become a little more consistent (showing that he can contribute without putting up 15 shots) there would be teams willing to consider him. He's not far off it.



Reply #647522 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

It's all about defence for these fringe NBA guys. If they are going to make the league, it will initially have to be as a role player. A lot of these guys like Randle, Goulding, Cotton etc can have an offense built around them which is why they are so valuable at NBL level. But if they go to NBA, the offense won't be built around them. So you have to ask what else they can bring to the table. And that's where it starts with defence. And none of those guys would even be "average" defensively against NBA competition.

That's why Craig made it, because he's a great and versatile defender and do a bit of everything when it comes to offense. The ideal role player.

Reply #647523 | Report this post


Cram  
Years ago

I think Goulding has been a very good nbl player but still is a ways off being nba calibre. You could certainly make a case for the rest of the starters (whether or not a couple are still at that level is another discussion). But I think Goulding has never even gotten to the level of, say, Broekhoff, who is younger and more talented and still not cracked in nba.

Reply #647524 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Back to the topic at hand, it is good that Melbourne are spending big. Both from the perspective of the talented team they put out on the court, but also as JVG said, as they will strongly contribute to the equalisation salary subsidy scheme. This will help some of the smaller budget clubs stay float, I'd imagine.

Reply #647525 | Report this post


Cram  
Years ago

Yep. Spending crazy amounts of money is totally a sustainable model that can only end in good things for the league. I mean what could go wrong?

Reply #647527 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

@Cram: Remember that most of the costs usually come from the big import players, and these players are normally on 1-year contracts. I assume Melbourne have sufficient funds to make this happen this year. If their financial position changes, then they can always adjust in future years and spend less.

Reply #647528 | Report this post


Cram  
Years ago

Of course they're fine this season. They have Larry McMoneybags funding them. That doesn't make the model sustainable

Reply #647529 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Sometimes you need to invest a lot at first to generate revenue streams and then get your money back over time.

It's like buying a big piece of machinery that requires a large up-front investment. You're initially in the red because of it, but then that machine helps you make money year after year until you're in the black.

Reply #647533 | Report this post


LV  
Years ago

The only sporting league that has clubs who are consistently sustainable is the AFL.

And they're sustainable mostly because they own pokies venues on the side.

Reply #647534 | Report this post


Zodiac  
Years ago

But I think Goulding has never even gotten to the level of, say, Broekhoff, who is younger and more talented and still not cracked in nba.


Goulding got just as close to the cracking the NBA as Broekhoff both played in the NBA summer league a couple of years ago, Goulding with Dallas and Broekhoff with Denver.

Reply #647536 | Report this post


Melbourne Boy  
Years ago

NBA, MLB, EPL, every relevant soccer league for that matter, even the top Asian sports leagues, they all have filthy rich owners paying over and above what used to be normal amounts on players, so as long as they pay the NBL equalization tax, all good.

Reply #647537 | Report this post


Cram  
Years ago

Sure, if you can find 8+ "filthy rich" owners who are happy throwing money away year after year long term the league will be fine. But how well has that worked in the past? Owners get bored, go broke, die, get found out as frauds etc and the league suffers. Every time.

Reply #647541 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Clubs change hands all the time. So if an owner no longer has the capacity or willingness to own the club, there will hopefully be buyers if the league is attractive enough. That's why LK is building at the moment.

Reply #647543 | Report this post


Haz  
Years ago

Cram, i hear what your saying, but thats the risk involved with private ownership. That has always been the case and will never change. Basketball in Australia isnt big enough to be run by members, boards or communities. It just doesnt have the numbers, clout or sponsorship to do that.

The level of support starts with private ownership. A big reason why 30 clubs have folded, but without it there wouldnt even be a professional league of this calbibre to be talking about now. So you take the good with the bad for a league like the NBL.

Reply #647545 | Report this post


Cram  
Years ago

My issue isn't private ownership, its unsustainable spending causing instability which leads to fans and sponsors not trusting that their team will be there year to year.

"Spend money until you can't anymore and hope to find someone who wants to buy your club when it folds" is a bad plan and one that ha failed again and again.

Reply #647546 | Report this post


Freethrows  
Years ago

There's a lot of focus on the calibre of the players in this thread, and some to the amount of money MU seem to be tossing around.

Nobody has commented that JVG raised the subject of the "salary equalisation subsidy scheme", like it was an actual thing! I wondered if my calendar was wrong, thinking it must actually be April 1.

Is there anybody out there that seriously suggests there is a "luxury tax", "salary equalisation subsidy scheme", or call it what you will, that will ever come in to play? The NBL hasn't even taken the first step, of nominating a panel to review the whole situation for last year's rosters, and all of the teams have finalised* their squads for the current season.

I think JVG was having a huge laugh at the league's expense, and wondering if anyone would notice.

* finalised: as much as any NBL team finalises their rosters, vis a vis imports, especially.

Reply #647547 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Some AFL clubs may disassociate themselves from pokies soon LV.

Reply #647558 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

the perth clubs have never had pokies

Reply #647572 | Report this post


FSTOS  
Years ago

Freethrows nailed it. Exactly my thoughts.

Reply #647574 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

I can't believe most of you apart from two posters got side tracked with the NBA quotes.

JvG has thrown the equalisation measures out there to keep the league in check. He has mentioned it because it looks like the league/Utd want to do a dodgy and forget about the promise that was made re: tax. Good move JvG. More clubs need to follow suit.

Reply #647615 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Sydney had the most expensive list last season, Perth right up there, can't remember jvg paying any tax or mentioning last season, early excuses from kings.

Reply #647635 | Report this post


LoveBroker  
Years ago

Yes...very disappointing to see people focus on the words 'NBA calibre' rather than the titled words 'salary equalisation subsidy scheme'.

This is the first time I have seen any senior figure mention the salary equalisation subsidy scheme other than when it was first mentioned.

Does this mean it still exists?

If it does, what happened last season? We were supposed to see the salaries (without individual names) and that went no where.

As easy as it is to get caught up in rumours of Andersen = $600k, Cotton = $20k a week, Randle $300k, other than the teams and other league reps, no one knows for sure.

This is the one major failing for LK's NBL that I recognise at the moment. I don't mind if there is no salary cap, no subsidies scheme, as long as they make it clear and don't tell the basketball public otherwise.

Just tell it as it is NBL.

Reply #647640 | Report this post


Dome Rat  
Years ago

JVG loves the pump and making stories that have nothing to do with him about him. Notice how often he is in the photos for press releases. It's not about you JVG.

Reply #647644 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

He's got a good point on this occasion though.

Reply #647667 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

The quotes were taken from an article published by NBL Media. If they had anything to hide, then they wouldn't have published those comments. I don't think anything's amiss. The NBL don't have to publish salaries or financial details, this is a private business. They erred in stating that this was what they were going to do, but they probably thought better of it. Nothing wrong with that.

Reply #647669 | Report this post


Anon  
Years ago

If they have the means to build quality rosters then why not ?

Reply #647685 | Report this post




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