Probably the owner making himself the CEO!

Randall gone.

CJ packing it in?

Record crowd...

Randall gone obviously

Who are they bringing in?

Why would Randall be so obviously be the one gone?

He is scoring more than 20ppg @ 48% FG and 40% 3FG.

Cotton is scoring 21ppg @ 42% FG and 36% 3FG.

I have no idea what the news is but isn't Randall an improvement from say, Dusty?

It's easy to pull out things statistically but comparing Randall to Cotton is pure nonsense.

Have you actually watched Randall on the court?

JVG coming back?

Randall gone according to olgun

YES, Randall is gone. 36ers press conference with CJ Bruton mid-morning Tuesday.

I'm guessing the thought process is something like:

1. Sack Randall
2. ????
3. $$$$

Think he mighta asked for release first, and sixers agreed straight away

Lovebroker it would have been a mutual decision. He just doesn't look happy here. I also think I saw he tweeted a picture of a plane a few days ago if I remember correctly. He scored well here. Had the big game against Suns so probably being in the US will give him more chance to get a contract

Maybe this is the reason he didnt get an NBA look after these huge G league games??

Reminds me of Carlos Powell. Gets big numbers but doesn't get wins. I’ll be disappointed to see him go because his highlights were fun and Adelaide weren’t a real threat with him.

Big g league numbers mean less and less.

I do think a more experienced coach could have worked him into the system though.

I get that if things are toxic it's better to move on before things get worse/it’s hard to win in a toxic environment anyway.

But from an on-court perspective or non-behaviour perspective, I don’t think the problem is what a lot of people think it is.

There 36ers are built for run and gun offence, with no interior D.

The result is that MM, Dech, Cleveland, Drmic either defend the perimeter properly and get slaughtered in the interior, or they hedge their bets and step off the perimeter and give up open shots/always behind the play.

Because they’re stepping off, they’re bad with both perimeter and interior defence making them the worst team in the comp. To make matters worse, their zone isn’t up to scratch and they give up offensive rebounds even when teams do miss wide open threes.

That means most 36ers offences begin after a score which prevents their ability to run and gun as the defence is already set. Because the opposition can keep the score ticking over against a terrible defence, they can accept the risk that occurs with extended defence, which they apply well against Adelaide because Adelaide don’t have proper point guards.

You add in DJ and Franks conflicting at the offensive end, and suddenly you’ve got two players that are ruining Adelaide defensively, and can’t get it together offensively because they’re wanting the same volume of the ball and forcing shots when they get it or simply not getting the ball and then you ask why are they there if you’re not utilising them offensive and they’re a disaster defensively.

This is why they look better with Sotto even though he’s not even a defensive player, at least he has a semblance of interior D through shot alteration.

Randall, if you’re adamant he’s stifling the movement, then keep him away from the PG role. In a run and gun offensive he’d be pretty perfect actually.

It’s easy to go "36ers looked better v Hawks therefore they’re better without Randall" but I think it’s more “the Hawks aren’t great” and people focussed more on the 4Q and not on the preceding 3Q Adelaide was barely scraping by the worst team in the comp.

No Randall won’t solve their issues, and it just takes away an X factor game winner.

They should have gone radical and given more time to Sotto and begged Bairstow to come back and make it so that:

C is always Sotto or Bairstow
PF is always Franks or DJ
PG is always MM or Dech or Marshall

SG/SF shared between Randall, Cleveland, Drmic with a bit of Dech.

That’s your actual fix.

KET, excellent post.

You may be missing the issue that he is despised by his teammates and coaches. Toxic is an understatement.

36ers GF appearances with DJ are when he was alongside Schenscher and Hodgson ( what happened to him?) DJ maybe Ewing theory and Franks doesnt relieve that either.

You could tell from day 1 he was here to get his numbers on the way to the NBA and didn't give any Fs about the actual team or winning. Sad really, has the talent, but he will need to show the NBA he can play a role and fit within a teams culture before he even gets a sniff.

I wonder if things would have been different if he didn't shoot the lights out against the Suns...

"You may be missing the issue that he is despised by his teammates and coaches. Toxic is an understatement."

That's what toxic is, so it’s not “missed”, but my point is that another guard import won’t solve 36ers’ woes.

They have to do something, even small, about their PF/C issue.

I’m not proposing using an import spot on it, but hey, even Hodgson looks real good right now as an option....

I wonder how many NBL imports have been sacked when averaging over 20ppg

This guy's best was something to behold.

They must believe he was an absolute toxic cancer to their culture, that would seem to be the only explanation for letting go of someone this talented

From what I've seen Sotto is going alright supporting DJ.

do they really need another big? McCarron needs help at point. He's the only NBL quality point guard on the roster. I'd be getting support there

Mutual agreement to part - the 36ers statement this am
and, they go with nic marshall while they look for possible replacemet.

I agree KET, great post.

I would try starting Harris a bit like Tassie do with Krslovic, he atleast hustles

I assume they get a import PG to replace Randall, as close to Jaylen Adams or Walton as possible would be great.

I also wouldnt play DJ and Franks much together

My rotation would be something like

Harris/Sotto/Johnson
Franks/Johnson
Cleveland/Drmic
McCarron/Dech/Drmic/Marshall
Import PG/Dech

And put a rocket up everyone, you either need to defend and rebound or you sit, no exceptions, again like Roth does in Tassie.

Teams that are winning in the NBL defend, rebound and play as a team, they obviously all have key scorers too, but its not iso ball with no defence like the sixers are playing

Any chance that Randall went to management and 'suggested' that CJ needed to go, and that he couldn’t work under CJ’s ‘system’? Playing under CJ for a season would have hurt his NBA chances big-time.

Given the choice between coach and import, it’s obvious who would lose out..

Lack of balance and defence is the issue, but might have to live with that considering make up of roster will leave them short at guard.

I don't think anyone would complain about Adams.

Also, prepared to admit I was wrong about Randall regarding belief he was toxic and a bad team mate. Perhaps I was the one who was hyper focused on other areas. I still think he can't blamed for everything, and I am not sure how a dysfunctional Adelaide would have gone with someone else who doesn't have the same individual brilliance to bail that out in the games they won. I think the pressure is on CJ to sort this out also. In saying that, a 3-4 start is not a disaster, but they really need to get this import spot right.

After the first NBLxNBA game plenty of people were saying he might not last long in Adelaide. Good call by those people.

Sixers need a defensive 5/4, who can rebound. While Franks looked a great signing his D next to Johnson doesn't work. They have enough guards, small forwards.

Again I’m a fan of CJ, just don’t think the side was put together well, yes I know hindsight is a great knowledge.

It's a very tough call LV. They really need a guard to support McCarron, but KET is spot on that our lack of interior defence is hurting the team badly.

Do you spend the money on a guard like Adams to shore up the backcourt and hope Sotto develops fast enough? I think he has improved quite a lot in the paint this season, but might struggle guarding the pick and roll.

Unless they can find the right import defensive big quickly, I tend to think they'd be better off getting a proven combo guard like Adams and then throw more minutes at Sotto and hope he can improve enough by the end of the season.

If Bairstow could be coaxed out of retirement for the second half of the season, that'd be great too!

Yea I wish we could have 4 imports and fix both

We need a import PG as Dech and McCarron are not proper PG in my opinion, both more part time back up PG types n more SG/SF to me, and I don't want to leave them with Drmic and Marshall as our only guards, that wont get it done in my opinion.

But yea ideally we need a Pardon type import big as well, I guess we have to just try Harris or find another Aussie who can try and fill this role as a local as I don't think we can do without the import guard.

It might also be worth just giving Acouth more of a go.

Reminds me of Carlos Powell. Gets big numbers but doesn't get wins.

Atleast we can't say it’s bad timing, any earlier would have been too early to make the call.

Now they’ve got the Fiba window to find something

When's the cut-off for ditching imports v keeping them? Is it the FIBA window?

I wonder how many NBL imports have been sacked when averaging over 20ppg

Pretty sure they need to play 25% +1 so 9 games

PW, so did I but supposed you didn't see it yet with the time delay. What time is it over there? Has Covid hit yet? Well in March 2020 there will be a world wide pandemic that will kill millions of people

Agree with KET. The bigs will still be an issue for Sixers. Franks gets beaten physically on rebounds, even to boards he gets first hands to. Doesn't hustle back on defense and trails his man a lot. On offensive end he gets beaten even when has made good front position and seals his man. Without inside big guarding the key Sixers will continue to give up 3pt shots. They play people into confidence.
Sixers looked a lot better with Sotto on and +9 compared to Franks -17 against Wildcats showed.

Defintiely looked like the the team not all in with Randall, especially after came back from being down and he hits half time buzzer beater from deep and then goes on to celebrate as if he's just won the game, making all about him while his team mates stand and watch on.

I think you're the one that's lagging - people started to use your thread to name players which were good after being cut, and then complained about it for being pointed out, ignoring the context of today and what happened to Randall.

It kinda blows my mind that with his performance against the Suns he had one foot in the door of the NBA, all he had to do was pull his head in and be a Team player for a season in the NBL but he literally couldn't stop himself from being a petulant child.
It really sounds like the 36ers and CJ are wallpapering over it in a more than generous fashion, but the media aren't so you'd think it'll be challenging for him to find a good gig in the near future.

Have you actually watched Randall on the court?

He just doesn't look happy here.

If what is reported is true, you'd have to paint it as a disappointing and unfortunate situation but the right move was made by the 36ers, and hopefully they can secure someone that will fit nicely, particularly in a point guard role.

It really sounds like the 36ers and CJ are wallpapering over it in a more than generous fashion, but the media aren't so you'd think it'll be challenging for him to find a good gig in the near future.

According to News Corp, Randall caused friction at the 36ers during the season, while ESPN reports the 26-year-old was often seen arguing with coach CJ Bruton and teammates during games, creating team chemistry issues.

Randall was seen arguing with Bruton about the team's first-half performance against the New Zealand Breakers in round 5.

He also raised eyebrows when he stood by himself before a game against South East Melbourne Phoenix while his teammates linked arms to sing the national anthem.

The 36ers have been repeatedly frustrated with Randall’s attitude at training and cut the cord on Tuesday.

There is more wrong in Adelaide than Craig Randall so I hope theyre looking at their inside options as well. Id be enquiring about an Angus Brandt/Hodgson type player

I don't think either of those guys are FA's I think Brandt is playing in Japan and Hodgson is playing in Taiwan.

More loks for DJ so I am happy but what a wasted talent. If sixers could have harassed this dude you got a once in a generational player to build franchise on. Imagine his drew power..

Homicide slamming Randall for his attitude:

As more details emerge about the 26-year-old's controversial exit from the league, Williams revealed he’d previously reached out to Randall in a bid to help him curb relationship issues with teammates and coaches.

"To see you arguing with the head coach (CJ Bruton) that believed in you, several coaches, your teammates ... it can’t be them. If at some point ten people are saying “it’s you, it’s you" …. it’s you,” Williams said on NBL Overtime.

An incident at shootaround last week was said to have made the situation “untenable” between Randall and the club.


“I’m told there was a blow-up that was the straw that broke the camel’s back before the Perth game, when he was told he was going to be coming off the bench, that wasn’t handed well,” fellow panellist Liam Santamaria said.


“That was really where it become untenable.


“Sometimes there’s things that are said and things that are done that you can’t come back from. From there, the team was going to part ways.”

"Here's what I’m going to say to Craig Randall ... it’s disappointing. I reached out to you and spoke to you. I had your back," Williams said.


“Unprofessionalism … that’s what’s going to hurt you more than help you.


“I told you things you need to do. I told you how this country is. That nonsense that you do wherever you came from, you can’t do that here. Curb this, change this.


“You didn’t do your part. It ain’t nobody’s fault but yours.


“You’re a hooper. You’re not a pro. There’s a difference.”

Its odd that essentially NBL's representatives are outing Randall like that.

Shouldn't they stay mum even if they know things?

It might be "NBL Media" with the persons article “not reflecting the opinions of the NBL” or something like that.

AFL do the same, it's a recent thing in Aussie sports where they try to create their own news content and can throw anyone under the bus without it reflecting on the league itself whilst putting the foot down on what they don’t want said.

All control, no responsibility. I actually appreciate it because it’s an entertainment product and as part of that we want content to consume and for lack of the big outlets providing content, this is the best way to ensure it happens - to deliver it yourself.

Its odd that essentially NBL's representatives are outing Randall like that.

Shouldn't they stay mum even if they know things?

Joke of a club

Agree, NBL and AFL media are miles ahead of where they were 10 years ago (5 even?) by delivering their own content. Smart play indeed

I'm not a big fan of a sports league generating it's own media but if the alternative is nothing then it's better than nothing.

Leading into that I was a little bit suspicious of the sheer volume of Randall/36ers pieces the NBL was pumping out on a seemingly daily basis on the NBL website, "What Randall thinks about the fans reactions to him", "What CJ thinks about Randall's interactions with fans" etc I was almost waiting for a "Randall: My favourite colour is blue" piece.

It was incredible the amount of Randall related nothing articles over the last month but looking back no doubt the NBL knew all about the problems the Sixers were having with Randall internally and were probably trying to extract as much mileage out of him before the inevitable happened.

On cue:

"It was funny to see a lot of people surprised - almost shocked – that took place in Adelaide when in fact behind the scenes it felt like we've been careening to that point for some time," Santamaria said on NBL Today.

“Ever since the start of pre-season you could see the discontent, the disharmony. Certainly things went really well in the States ... [but] there has been this issue bubbling away.