Olgun was just saying on overtime, that Adelaide are now looking for a 4,3, and no longer a PG.

Geez, this segment felt like a continuation of last week - it feels like there's concern going beyond just "it’s a bottom side".

For those that didn’t watch, basically they said ownership is taking control of the decision making for the import slot and want a 3/4 despite CJ wanting a PG and that it’s a financial decision (although there is mixed message of financial vs person that can move the needle).

Between that and CJs comments recently, alarm bells are ringing for me.

Granted, I don’t have any inside knowledge whatsoever, however the recent commentary and press conferences give me 3 main concerns.

#1 - Finances. Last year it was reported they spent a lot. 36ers came out and said something along the lines of “well actually we only spent a small percentage more and our revenue increased substantially”. They essentially painted it as sustainable on the back of sponsor/attendance growth and the like.

Fast forward to this year where they’ve still got their same key sponsors, they’ve got record membership, they don’t have DJs contract or Franks contract or Cleveland’s contract. But now we hear financial constraints?

I get they wouldn’t want to spend as much as last year. I get they still have Mitch’s contract. But what happened? This looks like a completely different investment. It makes me think about the rumours a while ago about shopping Mitch around. Was that a sign of cut back rather than opening space for someone else good?

#2 The structure of decision-making between ownership and coach. Usually there’s a GM or ownership that identifies talent and works with the coach (if signed) to form the roster around the coach. It felt like in the past they’ve signed a roster and just made a coach take the responsibility of making it work even if it doesn’t fit their style. A lot of us probably felt Coach Henry was put in that kind of situation and perhaps CJ as well year 1.

So then there’s no GM and suddenly CJ is tasked with both coaching the team and recruiting the talent. Effectively coach and GM. Not ideal.

So now we have the situation where CJ has to do that but ownership is making the decision on the type of player anyway. That’s the worst of both worlds and would explain the odd way CJ answered the Qs in the presser. If I’m CJ, I’d be feeling like I’m about to be put in a poisoned chalice position of not having the type of player needed to succeed whilst anticipating taking the blame for the decision in the long run.

Is that going to disengage CJ through the season and disengage the team?

#3 The ownership have done so well to attract sponsors, members and casual fans. If they continue the weirdness that seems to be coming out, or if they are simply trying to save money for next year it would be a massive mistake.

There is a difference between a team that is bottom and competitive vs a team that loses 15-20 most games. Don’t feed your sponsors, record members and record crowds the latter, otherwise it’s a major amount of support that can quickly be left with a bad taste and be extremely hard to convince to come back. That has potential to be so much more damaging than doing that to a small amount of cult followers that will come back year after year no matter what.

Commentary and pressers give me alarm bells of an underlying issue vibe well beyond just not being a good wide.

Hope I’m wrong, but geez it’s negative right now.

These sound like the same issues that drove joey nuts and out the door, despite being largely successful pre current ownership

joey got sacked bc of whatsapp group msg

Sixers sent from JvG as GM to nobody.

Both were and are madness.

Sixers went from JvG as GM to no one at all.

The positions while complete opposites of one another are equal in madness.

Does the ownership and management know anything about basketball though? This isn't the NBA where qualified GMs assemble rosters. Surely CJ makes this decision.

Fairy simplistic basis for wanting this particular player too. Olgan said something along the lines of because scoring and rebounding has been an issue to start the season, we need someone who can score and rebound.

36ers have saved on JVG salary , Cleveland, Franks , Clark

Google the owner and what happened this time last year and that may explain a few things.

From what I've seen these last 5 years, I think its pretty clear that ownership and management should stay the hell away from all personnel decisions! If they're going to hang CJ when he fails, they should at least let him choose his own team and not saddle him with players he doesn't want! I've certainly been critical of CJ, but I'm 100% certain he knows a lot more about how to win in the NBL than anyone else in the Sixers front office!

Does the ownership and management know anything about basketball though? This isn't the NBA where qualified GMs assemble rosters.

Google the owner and what happened this time last year and that may explain a few things.

Sad to see what's going on Israel, don’t wanna talk politics ... but it might be some good imports looking for a new home after what’s happening out if they can get out of contracts

What’s some good names you think they should go after ?

Antonius Cleveland

Hearing teams in Euroleague/EuroCup will stay together but just be relocated & play there games elsewhere

So no (Maccabi Tel-Aviv & Hapoel Tel-Aviv) players

I wonder what the teams in other international competitions (BCL & Fiba Cup) are going to do. "Winners League" will most likely cancel their season tho

Chasing Dejan Vasiljevic it's now been reported.

Would put that as a big long-shot as he's in the G-League at the moment and apparentely Kings have right of first refusal since they let him out of his deal to go to Washington.

Before the Kings have to worry about that, he has to want to come to Adelaide. I would be amazed if that was the case.

If they lock him up long term, can understand this. Is neither of the player ownership or coach are reported to want. Adelaide still might be some time off brining a new player in. Clock is ticking.

Haven't sixers got many guards already, not convinced he’s your answer. A defensive 3/4 who can shoot is more required

Kings aren't letting that happen haha

That Vasiljevic story just seems more like a thought bubble than anything else. The story basically amounts to the Sixers have interest in Vasiljevic because they would rather sign a local player than another import.

There's no mention of whether Vasiljevic is actually interested in leaving the Wizards G-League team to sign with the Sixers and given the Kings own his NBL rights as he walked out on the last 2 years of his deal to sign with the Wizards it also means the Kings would need to okay his signing with Adelaide, assuming he even wants to come here, and why would the Kings want to do that?

Clickbait nothing article.

Perhaps the more pertinent question is why are the Sixers even interested in Vasiljevic? He's no 3/4 and no PG either and we're stacked with guards so not sure how he's meant to turn things around.

Why would they want a local over an import? Seriously, they should have a new import signed and ready to go for the next game, but now they don't know if they want a local, an import, a guard, a forward or a 5.

I would only like this signing if it was a long term lock up scenario.

The Sixers are just a complete basketcase they don't know what they want or what they're doing from one day to the next. In an article yesterday on the NBL's website CJ said he hopes to have an import signed by the end of the week and now the next day this Vasiljevic story comes out?

It wouldn't surprise me if this story has been leaked by Dejan's side to try and leverage another team, likely the Kings. I just can't see why the Sixers would be interested in him especially given we would need to go through the Kings to get him.

What do you mean by 'go through the Kings'? Yes, the Kings have a right of first refusal which means they need to either let him go or match the offer, simple. Considering that they have no room they will likely try to negotiate or will have to let someone go to make room for him, which is likely unlikely :)

And 'having a lot of guards' means nothing if they can't deliver. Vasiljevic will be a good addition to Kell as a real floor spacer.

And the issue of an import - who are they going to get? Another G-league player? The timing is bad as the leagues overseas just started and the teams are still evaluating. If Vasiljevic comes, they should get someone in 4-5 spot, someone like Cook as he will be available soon.

I think Vasiljevic would be instead of a third import.

While Vasiljevic is a good player, his last season wasn't great and he also needs a lot of ball, again not right fit.

As already said, can see logic if signed for multiple years with aim of being key piece for next year and beyond. Would be a fantastic signing, but completely contradicts previous focus.

If Adelaide drop the game this week, 0-5 is season over? Can we foresee the excuse of not bothering the longer a new player is delayed/losses continuing?

Dankman - depends on what you use as a measure - statistically he had a better season than the one before. If you take the last game of the season, if I were him I'd like to forget that one as well :)

It's all about the fit and how the coach can make it work. I think Kell would operate far better with DJ on the floor, more room. Other 3 guards are not as effective so they can facilitate. Or let DJ try to replicate his 42 point game when not only he scored these points but also facilitated well. And it happened without Walton - personally I thought they couldn't coexist on the floor, fortunately for the Kings they won in the end.

It's not all doom and gloom as they need to make it to top 6 and go from there. It's 15-16 wins away, basically win 2/3 of the remaining games, and the 36ers need some help and running out of options fast.

I guess if he ends up sticking around for 3-4 years then he could give us sone talent to build around. But is that likely to happen?

In terms of current fit, he doesn't solve the Sixers biggest need, which is playmaking. We’ll still be stuck with McCarron having to do too much ball-handling.

I know it's Damon Lowery but pretty much mirrored my opinion of the potential Vasiljevic signing:

"Bad fit, they've got enough guards ... how many do you need? That’s not the issue," Lowery said on NBL Now.

“In saying that it would be awesome to have DJ back in the league, he’s a championship player, he’s a sniper, a walking flamethrower, but it’s not a good fit for Adelaide.

“Let’s say you’re not bringing in another import and if you add DJ to the mix and make it a long-term deal, not just a one-year, half-a-year thing, you could always do worse than DJ - but that’s not the answer to Adelaide’s problems.”

Lowery also questioned the speed of Adelaide’s process, following the almost immediate signing of Anthony Lamb to the Breakers due to an injury to Justinian Jessup.

“Adelaide always seem t put themselves in talking situations, then all of a sudden you get a team like New Zealand who can quickly get an import replacement, and here’s Adelaide in Round 3 – five games played – and it’s still up in the air.

“I don’t know what’s going on over there.”

The money has dried up

Plenty of players willing to play for less in the world. As article rightly says, incompetent work from Adelaide. Same thing has happened last two years with Clark and Ware.

" The money has dried up"

Plz explain

Don't leave us just with that statement!

Kelly lost his CEO job last year, it's hardly a secret?