have to say everone else is going to be concerned re their centre spot,
Any unsigned 5s will have thir phone running i think, and adding another $10-24K to their asking price
Pledger and jervis would be popular perhaps /

Wouldn't Newley start over Blanchfield.

Some have suggested it's in Blanchfield's contract to be a starter.

With the way Blanchfield played for 95% of the season without losing his starting spot, it has to be in his contract.

After today's whirlwind & plenty of questions over budgeting, sounds like there will still be enough in the till for 1 more marquee & 2 imports! I wonder how much Bogut got paid now... either that or Harvey's gunning for it now.

I love the way Newley plays but is he really the spark off the bench that they require... I mean he does so many things well but is he dynamic enough or will they need someone like a Nate Robinson type import that can get the crowd going or a point a minute type that can hit the open 3 or get to the free throw line.

I think they'll be fine and I'd like to see Mitch Young in this squad but they just feel like they have some pieces still to add

Are we going to be under the salary cap if there is one?

Is Newley a FA? And would Garlepp really want to play for the Kings after the way he was buried on the bench for most of the season!?!?

Newls isn't a free agent, he's on the last year of his 3yr deal, same as Lisch...

Thanks WookieE, I thought he was still signed, but earlier in the thread someone listed who was signed and Newley wasn't included!

Kings fans should be very happy with the Bogut signing, he is going to create so many easy looks for Randle, Lisch and Newley. And on defence, he is going to give the Kings all the defence and rebounding they need. If the starters all stay healthy, that is going to be one tough team to stop!

I could see Bogut & Randle clashing

The Kings still need a 5 who rebounds well, can pass and is a bit of deterrent force inside. Bogut can't play huge minutes, and they wouldn’t want a Jekyl n Hyde type difference when he’s resting/ in foul trouble/ injured.

What Aussies are available, or do they get an Eric Jacobson type import?

Randle has always struck me as the kind of guy who doesn't like playing second fiddle to anyone and needs to be the team 'leader' which he had started to become later in the season with Sydney but now no longer is with Bogut on the team.

We'll see but it wouldn't surprise me in the least if Randle gets shown the door before the end of the season. I think that personality make up of his is why he's never lasted more than 1.5 seasons with a team in his whole career.

Yeah I'm sure it was said when watching Bogut's press conference last night but when I heard they also intended to add Kickert AND two more imports to that roster I almost fell off my chair.

If they sign Kickert, im addition to Bogut and Randle then I predict there will be too many chefs in the kitchen. Bound to be personality issues. Just like the United team of 2014-15 that Kickert was also part of with Jordan Mcrae, Tomlinson, Dennis, etc. Everyone thought they were boss dog on the court and spent half the game whining at each other or the refs. I could imagine Bogut, Randle and Kickert being like this with Gaze being too nice a guy to do anything about it.

Of course that would probably mean Randles days would be numbered

"I could see Bogut & Randle clashing"

I doubt it. Randle would need to be at least 10 metres away from Bogut before he even enters his field of vision and it is hard to clash from that distance.

Hahaha, that's gold from Mr Anonymous!

I wouldn't rule out the too-many-chefs idea, but remember that Bogut has spent his entire career playing with fairly confident characters in the NBA. After his Bucks stint, he's never been close to top dog, and it's been years since he was used as much of a scorer. If Randle is contributing, I don't know that he'd have issues.

But yeah, it's a monstrously expensive roster. Can't see how it wouldn't be the most expensive in NBL history by some stretch. Hope they get the crowds to support it.

If they can do it without killing the club, then it's great for every other team - you've got Bogut visiting twice a season.

Yeah, I agree with the clashing not being an issue... Bogues has dealt with a LOT bigger egos and "top dog" mentality players in the NBA and his attitude near the end of the press conference where he was like (paraphrasing) "those expecting me to get 20 & 15 every night will be disappointed ... I just want to go out and do whatever it takes to win" is more reassuring that he will back that up on the court... I think he will be very vocal and have a leadership role for sure, but it won't be the "I have to have it in my hands at all times" type, it will be the traditional 5 in the middle making sure everyone is on their defensive assignments and not getting lost, etc...

As for Kicks, I'm not sure where this rumour is coming from, but I really don't like it on a few different levels... As a player, if your best defensive game is on twitter where you block every other person who has a valid comment about how soft he is, then you're in trouble... I don't think he fills a need that the Kings need filled and adds a questionable personality to a team that really needs those hard working glue guys... Not to mention that he'd be on some pretty decent coin, even at the tail end of his career and really Kings, that's just frigging taking the piss now... It was one thing to sign Lisch and Newls on big money to start JvG's 3 year plan, and then add Randle in last season was another because it was a partial season and by all accounts was a big step down to what he was asking for in the previous off season, but adding Kicks on top of a full season of Randle, Lisch, Newls AND Bogues?! I know that according to LK, only $160,000 of Bogues' salary counts towards the cap, but this is RIDONKULOUS...

I was never even a fan of having your three imports as starter level quality, but having a starting 5 of:

Randle / Lisch / Newls / Kickert / Bogues

How is that viable going forward?! Are they going to sell another 5,000 tickets consistently to cover this? (quick maths at $30 a ticket average = $2.1 million). Is the likelyhood that they will be able to bring in some serious sponsorship $$$ to cover all these costs viable?

I love the bringing in of Bogut and I think the extra cost is validated, but adding about Boomers B team player that I don't think is the right fit and would be asking some really good coin is just not cricket...

(Devil's Advocate: Would I be this concerned if they brought in Kay instead of Kicks if he hadn't already signed in Perth? Probably not... Kay is a much more likeable person and I think as a player would really much better compliment this team and could be a much more longer team piece to the Kings puzzle, but I admit there is probably a bit of bias there)

Randle* | ???
Lisch | Wilson
Newls | Blanchfield
Kickert | Jois? | Pineau
Bogut | Import 5*

I save my extra long essays for extra special anons...

@ WookieE, You mention Venky Joins in your lineups frequently is that wishful thinking?

I expect Bogut to be on twitter during the games.

He will be

1) baging out the officials
2) complaining about how he is one of the best players on the planet and too good for the local comp
3) promoting his next appearance hosting his own social promotions while blowing off team practices.
4) how the officials are targeting him because of his race, height and gender.
5) complaining about cultural bias against his people in Australia.
6)posting about opposition players head butting his elbows as he turn to the ring for a shot, and the foul not being called to send him to the line.

but then, really, i think we are all used to that, it will be same old, same old,

I may have the wrong tread here /

LOL the occasion warrants an extra lengthy one. On top of the leaks & purported sighting in Syd, he's unusually quiet according to some. Maybe he's just on vacation...

@ Hogwash: Yup, very wishful thinking... I was really keen on the Kings to sign him coming out of college as I thought his skillset could have been valuable to them then and still think so...

A great lineup or a great team?

They might prove to be 2 ver6 different things.

Team chemistry and balance don't seem seem to be high on the priority list for Kings 2018/2019 v1. Last season they tried to spend their way out of the hole caused by their lack of balance and chemistry. Maybe this year they’ve chosen to spend at the front end, not the back end.

Bogut will be great for them and the NBL. Some of their other signings maybe not so.

Don’t forget that Bogut also adds to an ageing core of Newley, Lisch etc (even Randle’s probably at the end of his prime years).

So Sydney will probably need to rebuild for 2019/2020.

You still going to be applauding when the 36's get slaughtered at home, and your new owner says "fuck this shit" and sells the team for $10.