Rumours were that Jawai was always going to play for Cairns, so it will be interesting to see if he goes against what he has already stated

Money at both camps if it comes to that, but I reckon the Dragons could have a good chance - Jawai and Ingles are friends from AIS days apparently?

WOW that would be some impressive recruiting if the Dragons pulled it off and would give them 3 of Australias hottest prospects with those 2 and Ingles, heres hoping the 36ers can steal one of them from the dragons ;)

And who would that be??? There is no one on our roster that would be friends with him, unless one of them is his Dad!!!

Hill, from AIS days?

I'm sure it is all a factor in deciding where to play.

As a youngster who wouldnt want to play for the Dragons - seeing the opurtunity that Ingles has been given (ok he is a rare talent) but do you think he would be getting the same court time if he WAS in Adelaide!?

DJ, how can the answer be no if he displayed the same performance as he does with the Dragons. When it comes to Smyth, love him or hate him, he wants his team to win just as much as anyone. If Ingles was the key to that win, he would give him plenty of court time.

EC, I think DJ is referring to the offer that Smyth put to Ingles - that he was to be given a spot in the 13, not even in the playing rotation. This compared to the Dragons who garaunteed significant court time.

Smyth's attitude toward Hill has been less than encouraging for other young talent here. Early in the year when the Sixers stunk it up with Copes, Mastro and Nash on the floor Hill couldn't get any minutes.

Did anyone say 'Love Child'?

Anon and Sturty, argue the point, not the person!

EC, the concern regarding Ingles would be that we would never have seen what he was capable of doing this season if he was a 36er because the current coaching staff would never have given him the opportunities that he's received with the Dragons.

Ingles would be left cheering from the bench while Nash, Mastro and Copes played the same minutes they are now. Ingles clearly is capable of playing big minutes in the NBL right now. Something Smyth and co would never open their minds to accept, or spend the amount of scouting time required to know it.

As painful as it is to see Ingles light it up elsewhere (as it has been with Newley) I would much prefer to see these fantastic South Aussie talents getting big minutes elsewhere then sitting on the end of the bench here.

My apologies.

Can someone link to this rumor? I can't find it on OzHoops.

I don't see why Mills would go back on his letter of intent for SMC. He has great NCAA talent and NBA potential.

http://smcgaels.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/110806aaa.html

A good offer of money, opportunities and so on would do it. A number of players have foregone college and made a reasonable or decent career out of the NBL and still kept an NBA window open.

Cowan would be able to point at Ingles as a prime example, and Newley as well in Townsville.

In four years, if he doesn't make the NBA, Ingles could well be at the same level or beyond where he'd be had he taken the college road, but have four years of cash at his back - that's easily the bulk of a house or a handy share portfolio.

If education is an important component for a prospective signing, then the club can offer to cover HECS payments, books, laptop, etc. I don't doubt that the Dragons would have all of these things covered - I can't imagine they leave these sorts of players waiting where they can get picked up by someone else. Offer up a signing bonus subject to a signing by a certain date, and how many prospects would leave them waiting?

anyone have a link or more info? This is intresting...

Jawai gets a mention in the OzHo thread of the Dragons vs Tigers game, and Mills was mentioned in one of the others - can't remember.

Not much more information than what I'm saying here - link isn't going to be of much use.

I searched around OZhoops. We have one random guy using hypotheticals about different players that he would like. Nothing about the team making offers to mills or even being intrested in him. I wish my team had michael jordan, better make a thread about the rumor I'm trying to aquire Jordan.

Not to mention that it was in March 2006, when Patrick Mills' history was in the air. He has since signed with St. Mary's College and expressed alot of excitment about playing in the NCAA and playing for Coach Bennett.

(http://www.ozhoopsboards.com/viewtopic.php?p=249508&highlight=dragons+mills#249508)

This rumor is bunk.

OzHoops is obviously not my only source.

The Dragons are very actively pursuing these two players. Flying them in, visiting their parents, etc. Same thing Stacker did to get Newley in Townsville.

Letter of intent to a college, if that's what it is, isn't concrete.

Care to respond, Jim?

I don't buy it. Your first post claims it was a casual rumor you saw on Ozhoops (which there is none about Mills) and now you're claiming you have personal/special connections or something.

Ozhoops isn't a source at all because there is no information that backs up your rumor there. Post something more reliable or just wait for your "rumor" to happen.

Besides there was recently a large newstory ran on the NBL website (Dec 8) that has nothing about Dragons and says he has every intend to go to St Mary's.

http://www.nbl.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&aid=4339

What aren't you buying?

The Dragons are very actively pursuing both. I guarantee you.

I'm not going to be drawn into overly big noting myself, but I assure you that I hear a lot more than I am able to post. And yes, my connections are reasonable.

As I said before, a letter of intent is not a contract, if that's what he signed. One of the 36ers' rookies in their last championship year did the same thing to sign with Adelaide.

I'm not trying offend or disrespect you, but I normally don't trust a rumor that only one person is perpetrating. Especially a rumor that is against all the information given on major reliable news sites.

Anyway, back to your first post. Why did you mention OzHoops when there is absolute no information there to back up your rumor? Why did you mention you had special and definite sources in your first post?

I don't know enough about Jawai to comment.

I'm simply intresting about this rumors relation to Patrick Mills.

Jim, given who the person posting the information is I'd be inclined to believe there is something in this rumour.

Jawai would be a big possibility, but I remember reading somewhere that he likes Cairns as he's a north Queensland lad.

Personally I'd be surprised if Mills stayed in Australia, but hey, money, opportunities and the fact that he's staying in Australia with his parents and friends etc could be enough to be a decision changer.

Never discount a rumour based purely on one source. Look at the credibility of the source, plus other information (which wouldn't be too hard to find on here if you did some prepwork). I'm not going to go to deep with the whole source issue as whilst very interesting this isn't the place.

I just put the rumour out there. If you don't give it credit, that's up to you.

You've already made up your mind that it's "bunk". So be it.

Jim, are you in California by any chance? Might explain your posts a bit.

I think you would be surprised if you knew which young players have visited Scott Ninnis in Melbourne in recent times. Don't forget, if Ninnis was still in Townsville, that is where Jingles would be this season.

Brad Newley to the Dragons?


Stop the press.

Haven't heard that.

Ignoring the Smyth part, I think that's more likely.

Ninnis is VERY active in the recruitment of younger players. He has a good eye and is the sort of likeable guy that they look up to.

I can honestly say that if he was given Stackers job, Ingles would have been a Croc. Ninnis goes to the Dragons and look who follows.

Adelaide lost their recruiting ability the moment they showed Scotty the door. They, like many other teams, have made the mistake of undervaluing his contribution.

The Dragons may yet have made the same mistake.....shoving him down the bench in the Price/Heal debacle. He was signed as the first assistant coach. Now he's the stats boy.

And Jim, sorry mate, but if Isaac says it's a solid rumour then it's a solid rumour. If he says it's a fact then it's a fact.

Sort of like me, really :-)

Any chance of the sixers recruiting Ninnis as a recruiting/development officer?

Hill, Sutton and Dodman are our young up and coming players! Hill and Sutton both showed promise, Hill needs more game time next season and Sutton will be around for years to come!

Concur with 112724 - that's an understatement - Ninnis has played assistant and won't want to take a backward step at all.

The 36ers have three coaches - more than enough to scout and groom potential talent.

Well if Ninnis is so good, why can't we get him as an assistant? If he replaces Smythe, does that mean we will get Oscar Forman, Jacob Holmes, Joe Ingles & Brad Newley as well as Jawai & Mills? Would we be able to hang on to our existing players like Horvath, Sutton, Maher, Hill & AJ?

He was the second assistant at the 36ers, but the club let him go and he moved on to take up an assistant spot at the Crocodiles.

He wants to be a head coach, not a 'development officer'.

And I believe he has good relationships with many of those players you have named.

Well I was one to say hang on to Smythe for next year and see what he does, now the club has stability. But from all the comments I have read on this site from people who I believe are privy to information I am not, such as yourself Isaac, I am now thinking if Ninnis wanted to come to Adelaide, I would be happy for him to get the Head Coaching Role. However, I do not believe that players should dictate who the coach is or will be.

Yea i also would like to see Smyth given one more year to have a decent chance at rebuilding the team with the new ownership, but if he were to go Ninnis should be offered the job straight away, as yea he does seem to have good relationships with the good young players and yea i wonder if we had kept him a few years back if that alone would of been enough to see Ingles and Newley in 36ers singlets. I know it has been said he prob wont accept a development job but would he accept being Smyth/SJ assistant and recruiting manager or something like that??? that way he still gets to be a coach at the top level and basically wouldnt be any worse to where he is at with the dragons as an assistant coach and he could then also help Phil and Steve recruit the good players which is an area they obviously havent been brilliant at in the past, to do this i guess they would have to let KB go, but if he is coaching Wellington does that mean he wont be back anyway??, as KB is another one id like to stay involved with the club. And i take my hat off to the Dragons if they do manage to get Jawai and Mills to there side after getting Ingles last season, thats some very impressive recruiting and other clubs should take notice of how they are getting it done! I guess the young players musnt mind playing under Heal, as if Ingles hated it i doubt Mills and Jawai would consider it, i wonder if Heal could be a good fit for Boomers coach in a few years time, obviously he has to gain alot more coaching experience at NBL level but if he proves himself to be a high quality coach, given his playing experience of all levels, as much as i aint a big Heal fan he may be a good fit to replace Goorj as boomers coach

The NZ NBL runs during our off-season, so that committment does not preclude KB from an AU NBL role.

Smyth and Breheny are understood to be a bit of a coaching package so I can't see that being compatible with Ninnis having a role as assistant here.

None of those named players are glued to Ninnis - remember that there is nothing stopping the current 36ers coaching staff from developing those relationships with younger talent if they believe that to be in the best interests of winning games for the club.

I think when we here these kinds of rumours, the more pertinent questions are:

a) Have the 36ers got any programs in place that can implement similar measures? (ie scouting, showing potential recruits a future in Adelaide)
b) If not, why not?

Ninnis will not go to anything short of a Head Coaching role, I suspect. Although, personally, I believe a development type role would suit him great. Don't know what sort of NBL club has the money to pay someone full-time for that gig, though.

If he gets it (HC gig), it does not mean that all those players are certainties.....but players LIKE THAT are likely to want to work with him (certainly more than Smyth, who has no respect from the younger players).

Newley was not a name I mentioned, I believe he had strong links to Stacker which is why he ended up in Townsville.

Jawai is pretty likely a Dragon, and Mills is 50/50.

Neither of these are necessarily in that position due to Scott (I'm not 100% on that)....Certainly Cowan is keeping a keen eye on the player market himself and is actively involved in the wooing process.

In the area of recruiting The Dragons are doing EVERYTHING right, that the sixers are doing wrong. I think Ninnis would be a good starting point to turning that around.

THAT said, I have no idea of Scottie's X and O capabilties or if he has a decent playbook of his own. I'm sure time will tell.....it's inevitable that he will become a Head Coach. It's just a race to see who realises it first.

Ninnis SHOULD be Head Coach in Adelaide next season, but maybe Ninnis's recruiting is a lot better with the Cowan factor as well......

Will Mal sack his best mates for the good of the team? I doubt it

PLUS, Heal was quoted of saying that he will play until another quality point guard comes along, do I here the name Patrick Mills?

Problem solved I would say if that was to happen.

Don't think Adam Quick would be too happy with the news, neither would Ziggy.

But Jawai would be a great addittion to the Dragons roster.

Jim: In print