yep was about to post this - professional sports are tough....feel for Sword.


Interesting next bit of news to come with the JJs thinking another import over Jack McVeigh coming back.

Yes Olgun has confirmed in his ESPN story an import has signed a contract and will be announced in the coming days.

Timing seems odd given he was starting to show something and the team has been winning, but obviously they've been doing their due diligence with the replacement. Tough business indeed.

Was doing ok, but they think of back to back, clearly a possibility now. Terangi just wasn't the answer.

Would say this means JJs are not expecting McVeigh to be waived by 31/12. Seemed very unlikely anyway given he has been consistently travelling with the Rockets on the road. They must rate him as injury insurance.

Expect this will be a very high level import 4 and yes the JJs now have a sniff of back to back. PW very astute taking them at 40:1 a few weeks ago.

Don't want to send JJs fans into hysteria and doubt this is it but Josh Adam’s has not played with Maroussi in nearly a month.

KL, would be amazing if he returned, but he left the JJs on shaky terms, and they have a much more pressing need for a 4-man. Would still love to see him return one day to the league

Roth was playing MacDonald at point, Crawford at the 2 and Doyle at the 3 at one point during that game against the Breakers and they looked really good. Yes, would be very very surprised if it is not a 4. The only thing with Adams is he would hit the ground running knowing the Jackie Way and Roth's systems and schemes. But having said that I think he just did what he wanted a lot of the time anyway with all of that driving into the paint and into whoever was trying to guard him, etc.

If we want to go down the route of someone who knows the JJs system, what's Rashard Kelly up to? One of the more underrated imports to have played NBL recently

You never know. Would think the JJs would be going for an absolute gun though. Possibly someone Roth has seen in the league before. Tyler Cook?

That's a nice shout KL. We’ll wait and see

Olgun Uluc obviously doesn't know who it is so not someone represented by one of his player agent contacts. Wasn’t there a big name player in the league recently that was self represented?

Wouldn't be shocked to see Sword land with Team Moldovan in Sydney as the Galloway replacement.

You'd think it would be a 3-4 to give the roster good balance.

Tyler Cook, lmao, he couldn't defend my grandmother, Roth to smart for that.

JJs need a scoring 3 / 4 .


Intriguing next and for the JJs.

Really liked Sword his efforts on D were phenomenal and contributed on the other end.

Roth has never picked a flashy gun, could argue that Adams was your out and out athlete shooter but have not picked a stud import.

Doyle is a gun but plays as a bit of a glue player.

Kinda surprised Sword lasted as long as he did as he clearly wasn't up to it but they probably just held on to him until their target became available.

Sword performed as the JJs expected, but the role he was recruited to fill off the bench became a luxury once McVeigh was gone.

Have been through the eurobasket free agent 4s and no-one obvious. Franks, Law, Brantley, Pardon, Cook, Williams etc. all still contracted and largely not Roth players anyway. Maybe someone out of Peurto Rico that is a Doyle contact or someone via McVeigh in the states. A couple of NCAA NBA draft picks that have been waived but again not likely Roth candidates and not proven in FIBA so would be a big risk.

He was up to it! They knew exactly what they were getting. Just because someone doesn't stuff the stat sheet, doesn’t mean they’re not up to it. Look at how releasing Gillespie has impacted the Breakers. Sword is just unlucky.

Scout, I think some of that recruiting has been because of $$ spending limits and the NDHP. JC was a big name in Turkey and topped that league in scoring. Roth doesn't have the luxury of time to polish up a budget import at this stage of the season. If the purpose of the exercise is to give some real extra scoring punch to go for the chip again then it has to be someone proven at this level and with those abilities. I expect the JJs also have $$s to play with as they essentially have McVeighs money to spend on 13 games plus any post season. Can’t wait to find out who it is. Have noticed the futures markets on the JJs winning the chip are really tightening.

Yep well said KL

The rumour around josh adams is growing was mentioned buy Brent Costello on his socials would obviously bring a great scoring punch and knows there system , but makes no sense from a positional needs they need a 4/5 magnay has been great but is carrying a huge workload that's probably not sustainable

Josh Adams makes no sense at all.'

Not what is needed.

Expect this will be a very high level import 4 and yes the JJs now have a sniff of back to back. PW very astute taking them at 40:1 a few weeks ago.

Doyle slides up to the 3 and then good luck trying to double team both him and Adams while JC just runs amok and MacDonald runs the show. Doubt it would be a one year deal as the Ant Army would pull the stands down if he left again. Would be one of the biggest sporting stories in years if true in TAS. Would not be good for merch sales though as there are still so many number 14 jersies about. Maybe Roth is still not giving up hope on McVeigh coming back this year. There were also persistent rumours about Vic Law earlier in the year. That is at least positionally better.

I don't see it, Roth to smart, they need a four that can bang with the big guys.

A Darius Days/Vic Law/Robert Franks type would be good.

Derek Pardon?

It was obvious early that Sword wasn't what they needed to go to another level if McVeigh didn’t come back. They have clearly waited until the right person became available and so this is likely to be a great signing that makes the JJs true contenders. MU v JJ rematch for the title?

Costello's post looks like it has been taken down. Maybe true then. Would not bother taking something like that down unless asked to.

Pardon would make JJs flag favourites.

KL yeah it's interesting might be reading to much into it but Costello is good friends and works with Tim Paine who is on the Jack jumpers board

Everyone remembers how the Adams and JJs partnership ended right? It's because of that I just can't imagine him ever returning to Tassie

Pardon is a five man, only, JJs got that covered. Roth will bring in someone not known that well who will be very good

Pardon can play 4, and JJs wouldn't mind more 5 depth anyway. Doubt it will be him but wouldn't rule it out. I think it'll be an ex-NBA guy, similar to Hurt

All that's known so far is the new import, in Roth’s words, "is a kid"...
Make of that what you will.
Any young players in the NBA been waived recently?

Pardon in Japan at present so just don't see it, never played four in any game that I’ve noticed and I follow the b league reasonably close.

Jared Rhoden is around 25 and waived a week or 2 ago, but more a SG/SF

It goes against the opposite of Roth's 'Kid’ call but a name that is strongly doing the rounds is Ian Hummer. PF that was playing in Japan. 34 years old though..

Can't find anyone waived that would make positional sense. Is that time of year when 2 ways are waived but that would have already happened if JJs have signed this player. Maybe someone not getting minutes with a euro league team. Isn’t that how United got Marcus Lee in 2023? Could also be a young NBA player coming back from injury and using the NBL to get back on a NBA roster. Doesn’t sound like something that Roth would be interested in though. Seems a huge risk to bringing in 'a kid’. Maybe Roth saying that to throw us off the scent.

or

Kid = prodigal son = Josh Adam's repentant return

Yeah wouldn't take much notice of the kid line I’ve heard Roth refer to a few of his players as kids ones that aren’t young as well. It’s looking like hummer playing in Japan his name is coming up on a number of socials his a 4 man but not really a scorer averages around 10 points a game . Can’t say I would be overly impressed if it is him

Correct position, plays D, passes NDHP, chip on his shoulder, knows FIBA and the half Court grind. Can shoot the 3 and score in multiple ways, elite rebounding and assists. Could he get back to what he showed in Europe when regularly scoring McVeigh type numbers Sounds like a Roth type project to me. Can believe that rumour. Not what any of us were thinking though.

Hummer has just been confirmed by Olgun on ESPN

New to this thread.

Has someone used "fallen on his sword" reference yet?

Not playing in Japan, this looks a budget import cut for a budget newbie.

If it's the Ian Hummer that I think it is, he’s 34 years old. None of this makes sense. Very average stats in b league last season.

He was a very good player in his late twenties played some good euro ball but not sure what he has left to offer now I suppose his an upgrade on who there currently playing at the 4

Looked like a south paw Xavier Cooks in his prime who could also shoot the 3. Highlights packages can be very misleading but I reckon Roth is thinking the JJs guards can feed him enough to be impactful.

Sounds like the JJs have either picked up an American Mitch Creek or an American Reuben Te Rangi

Hummer can obviously play, has eked out a solid career as a versatile player across a long period in European comps of a similar standard to the NBL. Of course, the question mark is how much is left in the tank at his age?

If he was a knockdown shooter this would make real sense to me, but that's an area he seems to have been hot and cold in across his career. As always, time will tell I suppose.

We could set up a separate thread for all the Hummer-related jokes and puns LOL

Trying to have faith in the JJs decision but this is fairly perplexing.

JJs have announced the signing - Ian Hummer is 34 saying:

"He's a seasoned player who will bring versatility, experience and toughness to our group as we continue to build toward our goals."


Would have liked to have a strong offensive threat to that not just toughness...

Can see why his game would appeal to Roth. Looks hard nosed, team orientated, defends, offensive boards, can get to the basket and finish off sets, steals, shoots the 3 etc. Form only really fell away when he got to Japan. Maybe the way the game is played there and the coach didn't suit. Has just turned 34. Doesn’t have to hold down the 4 as Deng’s minutes won’t change. Would have commanded big money a couple of years ago. Roth has many more hits than misses in recruiting and he is the one who has perfect visibility of team needs. Is the master coach and maybe another master stroke. Maybe not, time will tell.

Yeah he's a JJs type player, very fundamental, if he can produce what he was 2-3 years ago. Hasn't been playing this season by the looks of it, I'm interested to know who he's been working out with that may have recommended him to the JJs.

JC played against him in Turkey in 2020 when he was in his prime and playing Euro Ball.

Next Stars? Is the NBL's attraction reaching some older/experienced imports. Either to wind down their careers or, like we are seeing with Montrezl and Tacco currently, hoping to rekindle NBA interest/careers. Dare I include Bryce Cotton? There's already talk from game commentators that NBA scouts, who are here to look at Next Stars, may also have interest in the Little Master.

Anyway, do you think that the NBL should start a new recruitment program as the "Come-Back Stars"? (I dare anyone to answer"yes").

Reduce, reuse, recycle - such a modern way of thinking

Reduce, reuse, recycle was the way it was till the seventies, it's not a modern way of thinking, it’s a return to the old days. ::::))))))

I hope Hunter is tough enough to deal with the splinters he will get off the bench. This could be one of the most ridiculous mid season trades the NBL has seen.

Hummer my friend and yes I agree with you but Roth has proved me and a lot others wrong over the journey.

We will have a good idea soon enough. Apparently he is coming straight into the lineup next game against MU on 23/12 and is already in Hobart. Is doing a presser tomorrow and I assume training That poses the question of what Roth now does with Terangi and who starts at the 4. Imagine Hummer won't be breaking team rules and being dragged and benched for the rest of the game like the outgoing import was prone to do. Roth would be sitting at home choofing on his cigar chuckling to himself if he read social media like when the 2022 roster was universally condemned as the worst ever assembled in the NBL. I have a feeling he is going to prove us wrong again this time.

Only just found this: Hummer was in the

Eurobasket.com Greek A1 All-Defensive Team in 2022.

Just what the rest of the NBL needs - the JJs being even more elite on D.

Some really interesting stuff out of the 2 pressers. Roth said they needed to dip into a little of McVeigh's money to do this deal. What I got from that is the JJs are still making sure they can bring McVeigh back in if he comes available. Hummer could not have been more impressive. Has been in Hobart for 3 day. Says he can guard 1 through 5 and has guarded JC in Turkey. There were other things at play in Japan. Roth didn’t elaborate but said he had some miserable things going on. Says he is high energy and that is how he comes across. Very much McVeigh like in that respect. Otherwise could not be more of a Roth and JJ player with everything he said. Roth was sort of talking around it a bit but certainly left the impression this has been done with a view at making a real run at the post season.

Stop it KL, you're making me even harder.

Wish I had taken the 40:1 too PW.