just give it to singapore and be done with it... maybe after the asia push the league will become strong enough and commercially viable enough to get every capital a team.

Interesting to read over the last couple of weeks that the Gold Coast team is expected to be up and running for the 2007/08 season.

Not surprised.

How the NBL is allowing expansion and a further dilution of the talent pool at a time where clubs are already struggling to get sponsorship dollars/crowds is beyond me.

9 decent and financial clubs would be a lot better than a diluted 12 team comp comprised of teams that fans don't know will be around the following season.

Adelaide, Perth, Sydney, Wollongong, Brisbane, Nth Queensland, Melbourne and South Melbourne.

I'd throw in an AIS team irrespective of whether they got thumped as a marketing tool to promote the next generation.

Besides, the AIS of years past featuring Bogut, Newley, Marcovic, etc probably wouldn't have got thumped anyway. If the AIS players didn't get paid then I don't see how this would affect their college eligibility but I could be wrong.

Having such an AIS NBL team could result in a draft system should the league become financial again with graduating players not going to college being eligible for the draft but with some marketability as fans would have actually had a chance to see them play in the NBL.

Stephon,

How would an AIS team be a marketing tool?

The AIS womens team has been a marketing tool once in its long history, and that was when Jackson, Snell etc led them to a WNBL title.

Lots of players who graduate from the AIS don't make the NBL.

You seem to base your thinking around the idea that an outstanding talent pool will ensure viability of a team. the fact is you need a balance of talent, and presence in the right markets.

You can completely dilute the talent pool and have a successful league (reference new style ABA in the USA) provided you have a competitive competition - not a series of haves and have nots.

The AFL is one of the most diluted competitions in the world compared with many other worls sporting leagues. The EPL and la Liga and Serie A likewise. Think on this for a second - there are more footballers signed to AFL clubs in Australia than there are basketballers signed to NBA clubs in North America.

The AFL is plenty popular, and in the most part successful yet its talent really, when you analyse it, is shite after the first 7-10 players in each team.

Re AIS being a marketing tool, I mean for the individual players and the remaining NBL franchises, not the AIS as such.

IE even if the AIS were to lose every game, there would still be some stand-out players every year. Even on poor teams there are still players that get 20 shots a game and put up numbers.

Of course not all the players will go on and play NBL but it will introduce players such as Andrew Bogut, Luke Schenscher, Kickert, Newley, etc to the average Australian bball fans who don't go to National Junior Champs or follow the SEABL.

IE When the 36ers announce they have signed say Brad Hill and Joe Ingles from the AIS, fans aren't saying 'who' but instead can think back to the young kid who got say 15 points and looked impressive against Brett Maher.

I guarantee you that no one bought a Townsville season ticket when they announced they had signed Newley. However, if they had seen a young Newley play NBL for the AIS for a couple of years they might have.

I completely agree that an outstanding team certainly does not ensure financial viability. However, introducing further teams in an already struggling league competing for pretty much the same sponsorship dollars certainly doesn't help.

Together with this, introducing struggling expansion teams such as Hunter and New Zealand don't exactly command huge crowds on the road resulting in even further losses for the existing teams.

I don't agree with you that you need balance and parity amongst teams to have a successful league. No matter how even and competitive a league someone will come first and last. Some would say that the NBA was at its most successful when the Lakers and Celtics were winning championships every year and a young MJ was scoring 35ppg.

Crowds don't come out to watch the 36ers play NZ because they know we are going to win. The crowds come out to watch us play the Kings and Tigers, ironically games we are more likely to lose.

Crowds still go to watch the lower placed NBA teams because every second night a superstar comes to town such as Lebron, Kobe, Shaq and the NBA can market accordingly.

Take Hunter, West Sydney and New Zealand out of the league and merge Cairns with Townsville and I question whether the league would be much worse off?

9 teams with four teams making the play-offs. 24 games per season with less diluted teams, cheaper season tickets as less games, less travelling costs, etc, etc.

I can't see any of the above being bad for the game from a fan or financial stand point.

If the teams could afford it, introducing the 'franchise player' cap exemption as per Isaac's other post together with the drafting of graduating AIS players who don't go to college or returning college players could be some interesting initiatives for the NBL.

The AIS argument is interesting. They're "middle-ground" in the SEABL but generally focus their main attention on other international tournaments during the year, hence many players are often unavailable.

How they'd go in the NBL is anyone's guess, esp with the switch to summer .....

Wrong!
SEABL is classified as professional and detracts eligibility for Division one College.
Div 2 & 3 are fine though.

tell us whistleblower, how ANY Ais players can play college then?

The AIS graduates have formally been granted an exemption from the NCAA Eligibility rules.

That has been negotiated between BA and the NCAA.

All ABA leagues are deemed as summer leagues for the NCAA purposes.

The NCAA rule btw is not as simple as just having a "contracted player", they can deem you professional if your team charges for entry to watch your games for example.

pretty sure the AIS are exempt just because they dont get paid to play?