'Reece - Past it.'
First of all, REECE? C'mon.
And yeah REES is obviously past it, thats why he retired...

Matthew Reece was past it a long time ago. Good player for a while, but is way too old now. He has to go.

"Finished higher than should have"

What a load of crap...I hate that statement.

What a load of old coblers.

I don't care what people say.. Nash can go any time he pleases...."fairly good" is being kind IMO.

Keep d-rych at all costs... I'd say he had a fanstastic season over a "good season".

ShaneD

i agree definately... Dusty should be our first preference to sign again next yr..it was shown in the final, he was the best on court for us....we need him!

According to an article in today's paper, Dusty wants to stay which we all knew about & Smyth said he is a priority signing. The club wants and needs him. It is all going to depend on how much they are willing to pay for him. With what he has brought to the team in the last 3 full seasons, he is being fair on what he expects to be paid. Just hope the club can accommodate him because letting him go will not make the improvement changes needed for next season. You can get a decent centre but he won't pile on the points like Dusty does. At the end of the game, the points tally is what's going to win or lose the game.

Fancy spelling Rees name wrongly. I might have been a bit harsh but he did play one season to long. If Sixers can get one good big man, keep the present players, coaches get them to play defence, more intensity and more physical,they could go well next season. A big if!

EC, who says a decent centre won't pile on points like Dusty? There are centres in the league who score more than him. You say it like it's impossible for him to be outscored.

Ben Melmeth would be cheaper, not use an import spot, is 10cm taller, 10kg heavier and gives up only 5 PPG. I think it'd be worth considering giving up those 5 PPG to get a more legitimate centre and have an import spot free.

You've commented on the output of our starting centre (we all have) but think that we could get an upgrade through the use of Rees' salary and maybe an increase in the cap (in a year where many teams are already struggling to spend it)?

What sort of a centre do you think is available locally who'll give an upgrade on Cooper, and how much do you think they'll cost?

"If you don't have success, there has to be change," 36ers coach Phil Smyth said. "You don't just want to be nuisance value (in the playoffs). The fans need to know you have a legitimate chance."

"It's no secret over the past three years the team has been winding down and we need another quality big man and a back-up for Mahersy."

Sometimes Issac your better off with the devil you know

Rees - I salute you!
As Smyth said it's not only what you bring onto the court but the experience and gel you create for the team as a whole.

Rychart would be great to keep, along with Mee I think they are two players in a league of their own. No more airballs in the dying stages of an Elim Final though!
However, a lot of number crunching and reshuffling of players is going to be needed to slot in a decent centre.

Agree with Isaac on the fact that an Aussie should be picked up. I think someone like Pepper/Melmeth is a great choice but maybe going with youth and salary cap in mind may be a wise move. With Hill being groomed and the likes of Holmes/Forman in the squad I think a core needs to be established to bring that stability for future seasons.
My pick - Behrendorff/NZ or Hinder/Pirates now that he'll be looking for a team.

As posted on NBL site re Free Agents List -

Adelaide 36ers

Oscar Forman
Mark Nash
Dusty Rychart  OPTION
Jacob Holmes  OPTION
Paul Rees
Nick Hambour
Todd Gower

Rogers only played 12 games in an injury interrupted season the last time he played in Adelaide (only 22 games for Adelaide in his career).

While I am not a fan, PR didn't get much opportunity that year, and the team did not have time to 'fit him in to the system'. PR actually played a couple of good games that suggested some potential in the side before he was struck down with injury. He did not regain any real fitness after that, and so Adelaide just reverted to its old style.

We need an inside game to go with our outside game. And more penetration with the threat that we might take it to the hole OR dish off to a big camped under the basket (rather than just out to the three). It would make us less one dimensional, and give us other options.

The Sixers don't need an Anstey. We need someone who can defend and compete for rebounds with an Anstey, and free up Dusty or Holmes from those duties.

If we have to lose players from the current roster to pay for a big, I would be looking to release people in the following order (not counting Rees, Hambour and Gower):

1. Holmes
2. Nash
3. Dusty
4. Forman

Holmes continued his slow and steady improvement, but really hasn't taken the 'next step'. He may need to find another coach to take him there.

Over the past 2 seasons, Jacob's stats have increased:

1 ppg (from 13 to 14 ppg)
1 apg (from 3 to 4 apg)
1 t/o (from 1.5 to 2.75 topg)

This is with considerably more court time. Holmes' shooting percentages and shot selection have not improved in that time (though a noticable increase in free throw shooting % this year).

I hope that Jacob can step it up to reach his much discussed potential, but his time to show it with the Sixers should have been this year. Therefore Holmes takes out my no.1 position.

Whilst Nash had a good season as a role player in the team, and undoubtendly adds to the team, Nash is another small forward in a team of small forwards.

Nash can defend from the 1-spot to 5-spot. However, what we need is someone who can consistently fill the 5 spot, block the lane to stop penetration and grab some boards. Nash at his best will not give us that option or output.

With our glut of small forwards, I would normally lean towards young players with potential than an experienced but injury-prone person who is in the last years of his career. However, if the Sixers can keep him on a similar contract to this year, I would take him over Holmes.

Nash takes out my no.2 position.

The problem with the suggestion of losing Dusty is that history has shown that we will be unlikely to get anywhere near the same production out of his replacement.

Over the past three years Dusty has consistently and unarguably been among the top 5 imports in the league. An import centre is unlikely to be any more effective than Dusty, and will not have proven that he can work in the Sixers system. That would be taking a big risk.

The only disadvantage with Dusty is that his price is high and he fills an import slot.

Dusty comes in at no.3.

Oscar seems to be continuing to improve his all around game, had a great second half to the season. He contributes 11ppg with limited minutes (compared to Holmes) and looks to enjoy it when he gets more time. Also shooting from a good 46% from inside and excellent 46% from outside.

Would love to Oscar get inside more and crash the boards more, but there are indications that he can improve in this area, and will. Free throw shooting could do with a bit of work, and O needs to get to the line more. But those things may come with added responsibility and court time.

Forman is a keeper and deserves the opportunity to continue to improve in Adelaide.

He would be the free agent I would be most keen to retain.

Good post.

Something I would factor into my priorities for the team would be that Nash is on a pretty bargain salary, Dusty is the most expensive of the four and occupies an import spot, and Oscar and Jacob are capped at five points which could be useful.

As I said on OzHoops, Oscar is the most one-dimensional of the four (not entirely so, but the most), but if you take him out of the team then no one else (can't count Reesy!) is hitting from outside at more than 38%.

(Interesting: The Kings have five players hitting over 45% of their threes!)

I would keep Nashy because he's a bargain, Oscar because he provides a different angle for the team, has room to improve and is cheaper than Holmes, Jacob because he brings defense to a team not known for it and is still young and could change his shot(!), and then Dusty would be my final signing of these four only because of the import spot and salary.

Holmes hasn't done much?

Gee, don't tell his new Boomers coach, the most successful coach in the NBL, Mr Brian Goorjian.

Better not tell any of Holmes' opposition coaches, thats right, the other teams playing in the Commonwealth Games.

Not bad for a guy who hasn't done much.

I have never been Jacob's #1 fan, but he had quite a reasonable season.

careful, u have to say something nice.

Gotta get a centre. Hard to know what to look for though , i mean come on, our best ever centre was Mark davis , ( Brett Wheeler honourable mention , left at the wrong time ).
Bradkte's best game for us was his last. Remember the saturday night prime time game vs kings ( big suprise there )at easter 92 when he escorted Dwain"D-Train" Mclain down the floor for a buzzer beating lay up.
Need i mention David " the real admiral " Robinson or Jeff Brown " 4 games ? "
This has been going on for 20 years.
6ers would have the worst win/loss ratio in games involving buzzer beaters " made by opponent or missed by us " by a mile.
I can't take this anymore !!!!!!!!!

Yogee,

If you re-read my post, I never said that Holmes 'hasn't done much'. The closest statement I made was that Holmes has not taken the 'next step' to become a star in the league.

I even noted that Holmes showed some improvement this year (although on reflection that may be a little generous).

You do not really deal in your response with any of the points that I made in support of my conclusions.

The fact that Brian G is interested in Holmes does not go to the whether Holmes is a required player in a Sixers uniform next year or not. We were discussiong the hypothetical question of who would you drop so that the Sixers can sign a centre for next season and therefore put a better team on the court next year.

I would dearly love Holmes to play with the Sixers for the next ten to 15 years and average 20 and 10 and 5 each season over that time. A field goal percentage in excess of 40% over that time would also be appreciated.

I would also love to resign the entire Sixers squad plus replace Rees with Andrew Bogart. That would be an improvement to the team, but is not really realistic.

So then, rather than being offended by the (imagined) suggestion that Holmes has not had a reasonable season, how about you provide some constructive suggestions as to how the Sixers can IMPROVE their line up for next year within the constraints of the salary cap, import rules and currently contracted players...

Can guarentee Dusty wont be back next year, sixers are gonna ask him to take a pay cut.. so seeya Adelaide but you dont have to believe me if you dont want too, but it is true