Fair enough

Teams would need 5-7 imports
Take a look at the ends of some teams benches, they would by default be starting for expansion teams much like what has happened with the Jackjumpers

I want to know what teams may be in the 30 team NBL in the unlikely scenario it ever happens

Zero chance it happens, 15 teams is just as unlikely

True

Easily done with 15 teams out of Perth.

Why not? According to the experts in every expansion thread on here Perth is a basketball gold mine.

All comes down to dollars, import's local talent. Which there is plenty of talent around just need opportunity and right timing.

More team’s the better, less talent yes but as long it’s pretty even I wouldn’t mind.

Perthworld,

very funny

If there is any chance of 30 teams, they would have to promote some NBL1 teams.

G'day, Perthworld.

"Easily done with 15 teams out of Perth.
Why not? According to the experts in every expansion thread on here Perth is a basketball gold mine."

Yeah, I usually have a say but please be realistic. No-one has ever suggested 15 teams. Just 1 more team. In all honesty, you are displaying such a case of, "bugger you, Jack, I'm alright!". As I posted in the current Expansion thread, you are only looking after your own turf. You've read it, you know what I said. And I never pose as an Expert but thanks anyway.

Further, and for the sake of discussion, I am prepared to give you all my reasons for Perth having a second team. You will have heard most of my reasons but I have never heard/read any "reason" for not having a second team.

Do you have anything worth discussing? I am not being agro, Perthworld. But please, if you can't come up with anything reasonable, don't put the piss on me and others who want the best for our sport (in our opinion, anyway). Tell us why it's such a stupid idea.

We could dedicate a thread to it!

There isn't a demand here for a second team/more NBL basketball. We're not a basketball city like Melbourne.

The success of pro basketball in this city is down to the Wildcats organisation and its consistency in engaging fans over five decades.

It has nothing to do with fear of competition or looking after one's turf which is the latest argument put forth recently for a second side.

"Fremantle team" is unique to the AFL due to the historical WAFL sides - yet many on here think it can be applied to the NBL. It doesn't.

Virtually no one from Perth on here has said it would work, and have tried to explain why over countless expansion threads, yet we continually have to read on a monthly basis from east coasters about how a second franchise on WA would be a good idea.

Perth is a Wildcats city and not a basketball one. The success of the NBL here is more an organisational success story providing entertainment over a love for the sport.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. Some things for me to think about there. Here are some quick responses from me. Then I will outline my thoughts.

There isn't a demand here for a second team/more NBL basketball. We're not a basketball city like Melbourne.

The success of pro basketball in this city is down to the Wildcats organisation and its consistency in engaging fans over five decades.

"It has nothing to do with fear of competition or looking after one's turf which is the latest argument put forth recently for a second side."

"Fremantle team" is unique to the AFL due to the historical WAFL sides - yet many on here think it can be applied to the NBL. It doesn't."
Fair enough about the AFL, and I agree that many on here think it can be applied to NBL. I am one of the many.

"Virtually no one from Perth on here has said it would work,..."
That also makes sense. People who post on here from Perth are undoubtedly Wildcats' fans.
"...and have tried to explain why over countless expansion threads, yet we continually have to read on a monthly basis from east coasters about how a second franchise on WA would be a good idea."
As I posted, I have never read such posts. (Sorry if I missed them) I have seen several with just a "No thanks" and not much more.

"Perth is a Wildcats city and not a basketball one. The success of the NBL here is more an organisational success story providing entertainment over a love for the sport."
Very well put, and I wouldn't know that. I would have to concede that, eh?

My Reasons For "Yes Please".

From here (east coast, Qld, actually) the evidence shows that basketball is as popular in Perth now as it was over here in the late 80s/90s. And, although AFL is an obvious example, I specifically stated that yours is a "sports"-mad state.

You have a population of over 2million and a membership of 13thousand. That is exceptional but hardly speaks for the other 1,987,000 Perth-ites. And how close are you with the people of Fremantle and further south? They may even want to be Wildcats fans but just too far away. Do you know that they wouldn't like a team?

You have a strong state/NBL1 West league (I think). I know some (older-timers) who played in their state league and they were well paid. Assuming that their is the money to finance a second team.

You have set a precedence and a good model to follow (and IMO, that is something you DO want to protect instead of sharing. Remember that imitation is the highest form of flattery!).

All other NBL teams would welcome the travel-cost savings. We used to have to play Adel and Perth on a double-header. That was a weekend double-header with travel in between. Now-a-days that could be spread over say 4 days between games and a practice session or 2 to get ready for the 2nd game.

And, although you won't know this, but you will welcome the regional rivalry, it's electric. Sydney/Illawarra, MU/SEM, Brisbane/Cairns. And even in your own case, you pick on Adelaide as your nemesis as you don't have one closer!

Once again, I thank you. I will ponder your thoughts but have held mine fairly strongly for a while (old dog, new tricks etc).

And how close are you with the people of Fremantle and further south? They may even want to be Wildcats fans but just too far away. Do you know that they wouldn't like a team?

You have a strong state/NBL1 West league (I think). I know some (older-timers) who played in their state league and they were well paid. Assuming that their is the money to finance a second team.

And even in your own case, you pick on Adelaide as your nemesis as you don't have one closer!

40 years of monopoly. 30 of those years were no real rivalry, just beat up on your nearest. And SA had up to 3 teams in the NBL, back then. You had 1 and still do.

Forgive my lack of geographical knowledge of Perth and burbs. So nothing south of Fremantle? OK. What about the other 1.9 million in and around Perth, some of whom would love a team other than the Wildcats. Had I realised that they were so close I would have also realised that the Wildcats might even lose members from Perth, itself and even from further north. Now THAT might just be another concern. No wonder you don't want it.

And I also realise that all Wildcats' fans must be very proud of their local club/team/organisation. Your membership is at least twice the size of other clubs. Let's say you lose half of your members to a new club/team/organisation (THAT WON'T HAPPEN!). Wildcats will still be 6 to 7 thousand strong. What's wrong with that? Rebuild from there, if big-is-beautiful is your motto.

And another huge benefit for Perth-ites. Double the NBL live-games locally.
When Gold Coast were up and running, my basketball-mad family would go to Bris and GC games (not all of them of course). For a while we were GC fans (we knew some team members). Now that they are gone, I follow Brisbane, our only 'local' team.

I know that Wildcats are safe as the 'rock' but what do you have against choice? If you're that stable/big/strong, what's the issue? Just ignore the 'other' team, treat them like you treat any enemy. Own Perth, and there's bound to be another trophy you can claim, the Perth Cup or whatever.

I honestly admire your collective loyalty and I honestly believe that a 2nd team in Perth is a natch.

If I win this issue, I know that you will look me up and thank me one day(lol).

The NBA has a domestic market of around 150 million citizens. 30 teams. 5 million citizens per team.

Australia has a domestic market of around 25 million citizens. 10 teams. 2.5 million citizens per team (forgive me if my Maths is way off).

(The NBA also has a collegiate system to prepare players, willing access to the world's best players etc etc.)

Based on pure numbers, we do well to support 10 teams that lose money and rely on wealthy owners.

Sorry. ISA has over 330 million citizens. So 6 million citizens per team.

**330M divided by 30 teams is 11M per team.

I don't think there would be any serious consideration for a second WA team. I certainly wouldn’t have it above a second NZ team, or a second Sydney team or a third Victorian side.

But it’s not as ludicrous as has been pushed.

" Fremantle and Perth are like ten minutes apart, it's not exactly a huge road trip.

Anywhere further south you'd need an entirely new venue to be built, as there isn't anything that seats more than 500 people. Or they play in Perth anyway, which negates the entire purpose."

How does that logic apply to Melbourne and South East Melbourne that play out of the same stadium?

What about Fremantle and West Coast - both footy sides play out of Optus Stadium...

The question really is whether there’s a way to cannablise it a bit and form a decent base in some way. Geographic can be a starting point, and then it can expand as being people wanting to go for “the other team” or for those that just want to be able to access games and perhaps for cheaper.

Ie, like Port Power - it’s not a pure Port Adelaide Magpies geographic supporter base, it’s more of a younger base throughout the state where most have zero connection to the suburb or SANFL history.

I think Perth has a fair bit of corporate dollar for sports side, investors, good infra, good support and a lot of what Wildcats have done could be piggybacked. Make no mistake, any second team would be working off of what the Wildcats created.

In theory, it’d have as much going for it as the other options i listed above. The reason the others are listed above comes down to sports leagues and the corporate world being east coast-centric.

How does that logic apply to Melbourne and South East Melbourne that play out of the same stadium?

What about Fremantle and West Coast - both footy sides play out of Optus Stadium...

I'm not going to claim to have grown up in south East Melbourne, but I honestly don’t think that rivalry exists anymore in any tangible historical way.

I certainly don’t feel it living there now.

I think any support would come down to wanting to go to the basketball and experience the entertainment - I think it’d be a case of adopting a team and running with it ie like Port Adelaide who 1) plays at the same stadium as the crows and 2) with a fanbase that largely doesn’t live in or would ever step foot in Port Adelaide as a geographical suburb and 3) has zero care for the historical factor and likely even supports a different SANFL side.

The question really is - are WA a sports state? Yes; are they a basketball state? Well I think they are because of the Wildcats. That doesn’t mean a second team can’t piggy back off of it. Is there good corporate support? Probably?

As I said, not a bad idea - just won’t be what happens. Sydney, Melbourne, regional NSW/Qld will always be priority because we know the NBL like other leagues are east coast centric.