Mccaron management denied the rumours, normally no smoke with out fire, as they say. At a guess no other club interested in his pay packet. You've done it again JVG.

I posted in the other thread the Matt Logue column part.

Sounds like 36ers shut down other clubs about it?

It does give "where there's smoke there’s fire" vibes. Maybe they tried to low key gauge if clubs would take most of his contract and figured out it just wasn’t worth it?

The answer is sign a local bench player

Problem with trying to shift him and getting no takers, is that if he finds out, you have a disgruntled player on your hands tying up a fair bit of money.

I don't think that would be a big issue McCarron's entering the last year of his contract and I wouldn't thought it possible he could play any worse. I would be bringing him off of the bench next season regardless.

Obviously the Sixers were trying to find another team to take him on next season likely willing to still pay some of his money, which has been done in the past but couldn't find a taker.

I don't think he’s as bad as everything thinks - it’s all good to say yea let’s get rid of him, it’ll free up money etc etc.

What if there’s nobody better to sign?

It’s kind of like DJ - all well and good to say on ya bike, but what big Aussie options are there?

36ers should try to make it really work.

McCarron had to spend an inordinate amount of time trying to glue shit together - the team was useless defensively where they could neither stick to players nor give too much space. MM was having to switch and run around covering up issues.

Because the other teams’ defence was always set (because they scored too easily against our crap defence), 36ers ended up being much slower or stifled than they were ever designed to be.

This resulted in a lot of iso that MM couldn’t do anything about.

If players weren’t going to move the ball. What was he going to do? Not pass the ball to all the "stars" playing iso or jacking up shit?

I would have thought MMs place in a team would be that Gibson style player with a point guard that’s like Ervin, with a team that defensively has it together down low so that he can stick to and stifle good players with his defence.

On offence, being able to grab the turnover or rebound and run, push forward, initiate ball movement, and with that take advantage of open shots with momentum and in transition (where he can score).

None of that is how the 36ers played last 2 years.

At what point do we go “maybe the 36ers suck at utilising players”, because there’s a fair few going around the NBL that play better as ex-36ers opposed to as 36ers.

So we let MM go and fail to utilise whomever replaces him?

Does that ensue shrieks of “36ers overpaid” all while pretending 36ers wouldn’t need to overpay known quantity stars to take them away from a place like Melbourne?

Agreed. Would love to see him with a stud import PG running the shoe. That's why Clark was a weird fit as a em replacement in my eyes when we needed a true PG and a defensive big.
Interesting off season ahead

McCarron is an excellent role player, but overpaid in Adelaide - if he's your 5th best paid starter, you are golden. If he's your best paid local, probably not.

Mccarron to brisbane I reckon, good mates with schueller. Schueller wants Sobey at the 2.
Rumours of big money for Kay to return.

Possibly
Mccarron-Cadee
Sobey-Krebs
Import-Diing
Kay-Mitchell
Baynes-Harrison

Kay said that WA is home and would love to go back there. Mccaron and Schueller makes a bit sense though, bullets will balk at the cost and rightly so. They be better chasing WMW.

Familiarity with Schueller aside, Macca was raised in Brisbane and has been trying to get back here since college. The Bullets failed twice to get him - first time didn't return his phone calls at all and he went to Cairns, second time offered him Te Rangi’s spot/money and he went to United. Thanks Lemanis.

Still motivated to play here in front of family and friends. If he leaves Adelaide and good money on the table, it would be for a three year Brisbane deal on a relatively more team-friendly deal. My guess is that Brisbane is going hard on WMW first, and when they miss on him they’ll revisit Mitch.

WMW is on everybody's recruiting list.
Just can't see why he'd leave NZ with the success he, and they have had. Yes, money talks but it's not like the Breakers are going to ignore that facet and just let him walk.
Teams are living in recruiting dreamland.

Good analysis, KET

Would Brisbane ever go for Brock Motum, he is also a Brisbane lad and it would be great seeing him end his career here but surely he would cost a fortune too

"I don't think he's as bad as everything thinks - it’s all good to say yea let’s get rid of him, it’ll free up money etc etc."

He just needs to get his shot dropping again. He was a good three-point shooter but it's dropped away and makes him a lot easier to guard, especially on a team that isn't a great outside shooting team.

If opponents have to respect his shot again he'll get back to making a really valuable contribution at both ends.

Unless the feeling is mutual and the relationship is declining, Adelaide should have made the decision to move on CJ as coach before McCarron.

I have said this before, but the system/lack of would make many competent point guards look lost.

I just feel like they'll think they've upgraded and therefore solved what they think is the issue, but we will see the same pattern over and over again.

I think everyone can agree he isn't bad, he just isn't great. If he could play a role like Leafa or Ili (be the small cog instead of one of the main ones), instead of eating major minutes trying to be something he isn't, then it would make sense. Perth would be best alongside Cotton, really can't see a backcourt of MM and Sobey even remotely working.
But guess we're stuck with him and if CJ remains, a clueless coach who doesn't know how to find an effective role for him.

This rumour is a big problem though right?

If you're MM, you’d be pissed at the 36ers.

We can say "oh well suck it up you’re getting paid grandly", but it wouldn’t change the fact it could well make life super awkward.

As if we need another culture risk.

If you’re exploring that scenario as a club, you have to either pull the trigger or don’t even consider putting the idea on the table.

MM reminds me somewhat of Norton/Blanchfield at the cats. Elite players perhaps 2-3 seasons ago but in the last season or so there has been an influx of more rounded players who are elite shooters and defenders. being good at only one of those aspects puts you below the new standard we are seeing.

MM wouldn't be in the top 5 Australian guards in the league today, so on a marquee salary you have an issue. If he was coming off the bench as a role player he would be probably be fine - but there are better locals in the starting spot as well as import pg/sg that would offer more for the money.

I expect the "old guard" of aussie players will be looking at reduced contract values on their next gig and becoming more role players than star players.

Adam Forde in one of his press conferences addressed those that doubted cairns would make the finals by saying other teams hadn't realised "the game had evolved" and the type of players that drive success has evolved as well. he was spot on.

"MM wouldn't be in the top 5 Australian guards in the league today"

Just on a statistical basis amongst Aussie/NZ guards he's:

- 1st for rebounds
- 1st for steals
- equal 2nd for blocks
- 4th for assists
- 6th for turnovers
- 11th for scoring
- 34th for 3pt %

This is while being 4th for minutes amongst local guards. It's his inability to score and in particularly shoot that is hurting him and his team. The rest of his game is at a good level.

- 11th for scoring
- 34th for 3pt %

Role player at best with those stats. Top teams score in buckets and defend.

It's 2023 and we're still evaluating players by just looking at the PPG column? Really?

He is getting paid $350k and shooting 18% from 3.

I was happy when he came on board but he has regressed a lot.

Mccarron is an elite glue guy, poor man's Damien Martin, he needs to be next to a scoring guard!

Damo was an elite role player!

Who are the 5 Aussie point guards who are better?

WMW would leave NZ because he’s not a Kiwi

I'd take Bruce off the kings bench ahead of Mccaron. The kings made a play for him before he signed with Sixers, when the kings balk, I think that telling you about his wage packet. That young bloke from Cairns does ok as well on minimum wage.

Agreed Bruce is a better player than McCarron, I bet he's only being paid a fraction of what Money Makin' Mitch is getting too. McCarron averages the same amount of assists as Xavier Cooks and Cooks plays less too.

McCarron would be a decent back up PG he's just not starting quality and certainly not worth the superstar money JVG gave him and Humphries too.

Kay is either returning to Perth because of his wife or he is staying in Japan. The Brisbane nonsense is not real

Regardless of whether you like MCarron or not, if you think that Bruce is a better player than him then you really should go to the house of mirrors and have a good hard look at yourself! C'mon Zodiac...

"McCarron averages the same amount of assists as Xavier Cooks"

That's pretty impressive. We're talking about one of the best passes in the league, the MVP, a chief playmaker in the highest-scoring offence in the league and a guy who's now signed in the NBA!

I think McCarron is a better 'all round' player but Bruce is probably better at running a team and being an actual point guard. The problem with McCarron is he just doesnt fit a role for the 36ers. When he was with United he legitimately contributed a lot to the team but he isn't "the man" for a team nor will he ever be.

Aussiehoopla is saying they are shopping his contract to other teams. Also Perth, Brisbane and Phoenix throwing everything at McDowell white

Oldmate,

McCarron - 29.9mpg, 7.8p @ 48.7% (18.2% 3p), 5.0r, 3.8a, 1.6s

Bruce - 16.4mpg, 4.5p @ 39.7% (36.4% 3p), 2.1r, 2.3a, 0.2s

Bruce plays about half the minutes McCarron does so double his stats as a rough guide and his numbers would likely be better. Bruce doesn't shoot a good % from the field but he's almost exclusively a 3pt shooter these days with 2.9 of his 3.7 FGA being 3pts this season. Bruce also plays on the best team in the league unlike McCarron who plays on a crap team so Mitch's stats are inflated.

I would much rather Bruce running the point for us than McCarron that's for sure.

Mccaron had Illi as point guard when at United as well even though Illi mostly came off the bench, United had a stacked team also.

I'd be happy to have him back at United. In my opinion he’s a great player, versatile defender, dangerous in transition, hits the boards, leader and a real "team orientated player". Has been poorly utilised at the 36ers and the reported big contract has contributed to an expectation of what he can bring to the team.

I'd be happy if he came home to Brisbane.

He’s not the all-star floor general the Bullets has been desperate years for, but would add some much-needed defensive starch and doesn’t need shots which is great if you have Sobey alongside you.

The team would need to nail their imports though with a pair who could be relied on to get buckets when needed. Not some tightarse easy signings again like Andrew White (who is remaining in town to play NBL1).

Eye test should be the evaluation not just stats (which don't work in his favor either)

But your starting PG (On a winning organization) should be able to start on at least than half of the teams in the league. Last season how many teams would he start on over the others teams PG

Definitely Not Sydney (Not over Walton Jr or Bruce)
Definitely Not Breakers (Not over WMW, Le’Afa or Brown)
Not Cairns (Not over Scott, over Ayre .. ehh yes)
Not Jackjumpers (Not over Magette, over Macdonald .. yes)
Definitely Not United (Not over Illi or XRM)
Not Phoenix (Not over Browne or Adnam)

Maybe Illawarra because of Injuries but if healthy
Not over Robinson, Siva, or Harvey at the 1

Brisbane MIGHT be the only team


But if you factor in his play style doesn’t fit well with either other teams, especially the top 4 because he can’t score or shoot to help his playmaking play a huge role in a good offensive team

I agree that he doesn't compare favourably on a pure PG basis to those players.

I don’t think I agree re his shooting. I think his stats are a reflection of the volume and type of shots he is getting which is more a negative reflection of the 36ers offence than it is McCarrons shooting.

Advanced stats would probably back that up with consideration of things like when in the offence the shot is, where, spacing etc. They are more bad quality desperation shots opposed to good open shots.

I think Dech and Drmic are similarly decent to good shooters that struggle through a pretty crap offensive structure.

Adelaide need to find a way to have identity and roles to focus on and deliver - lots of "decent" players doesn’t really work.

There’s this weird overlap of McCarron, Drmic, Dech, Cleveland etc and only really Cleveland carved out a semblance of a role.

There's this weird overlap of McCarron, Drmic, Dech, Cleveland etc and only really Cleveland carved out a semblance of a role

Yes certainly part of the problem and Franks not really fitting as well.

"I don't think I agree re his shooting. I think his stats are a reflection of the volume and type of shots he is getting which is more a negative reflection of the 36ers offence."

There may definitely be some truth to that, although he missed plenty of good looks this season and the trend started the year before he got to Adelaide. In terms of volume, this year was a big drop-off potentially based on his lack of confidence.

Here's his 3pt % and attempts:

2017 Cairns: 42% & 2.0
2018 Cairns: 36% & 3.2
2019 Melbourne: 38% & 2.9
2020 Melbourne: 38% & 2.3
2021 Melbourne: 31% & 2.9
2022 Adelaide: 26% & 3.2
2023 Adelaide: 18% & 1.3

His reluctance to shoot this season really hurt. If he is shooting confidently somewhere in the 30s Adelaide are a different team. Funnily enough, his 2pt % was the best of his career, possibly due to being so picky with his selection?

The Olgun rumours:

McCarron staying
Drmic and Adelaide couldn't reach a deal - could see Drmic somewhere else
36ers finished with Johnson
Franks won’t be back

C ?/?
F ?/Galloway
F Cleveland/?
G Dech/Marshall
G McCarron/?

Import C/bannan
Galloway/?
Cleveland/?
Dech/Marshall
Import PG/McCarron

I'll be disappointed if we're unable to keep Drmic. I just hope the talk of him leaving is a negotiation tactic.

Big fan of McCaron and I hope we keep him. Does need to be more aggressive offensively though. Was a reluctant shooter too often this year which I think negativey impacted his efficiency. Does all the little things and just needs the right players around him and his value increases.
Drimic was a shinning light and we should be trying to keep him for sure. Hope it's a negotiating tactic as well to get a better contract.
Too much change of roster in recent times, no continuity which has to hurt.
Need a quality big who can defend and a go to scorer who can play the 1 and 2. Franks, DJ and Clark gone could free roster for some for needs recruits.