This break in the NBL season for the FIBA window was always going to be a time for clubs to take stock on the opening rounds and if they were to make any moves, was the perfect opportunity – and that’s already seen two imports depart, and more could still come before the action resumes.
In a lot of ways the opening six rounds of the NBL season were a feeling out process for all 10 clubs to work out what was working, what wasn’t and what they may need to look to change when they knew there would be a break to come to open the way for FIBA international matches.
Even before the break started, the Brisbane Bullets were the first team to make a move on an import releasing Devondrick Walker. The Adelaide 36ers then pulled a shocker releasing Craig Randall II and Melbourne United have finally done what’s been coming for weeks parting ways with Jordan Caroline.
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The NBL season resumes on Thursday night so the movements either coming or going hasn’t been as thick and fast as it might have been during this break, but that doesn’t mean things haven’t been frantic behind closed doors.
Now the 36ers, Bullets and United are frantically searching for new imports with the Illawarra Hawks and Melbourne in particular having some thinking to do if they need to make more decisions.
With superstars on the market including the reigning MVP, things could still end up fascinating in the coming days and weeks as teams lock in their rosters for the rest of NBL23.
MOVES ALREADY MADE
Brisbane releases Walker
The first piece to fall was the Brisbane Bullets parting ways with import scorer Devondrick Walker before they played their last game and made it three straight wins heading into the break after starting the season 0-5.
Walker started the season well enough including 16 points first up against Perth and 10 against Sydney, but the unfortunate reality for him was that as the Bullets got healthy and locked down their rotation, there just wasn’t a role for him.
His greatest skills are his ability to shoot and score, and to create for himself. There was just no chance of him doing that on this Bullets team with Nathan Sobey back to full power and with Tyler Johnson, Jason Cadee and Tanner Krebs all ahead of him in those roles.
Walker did nothing wrong, he played well and played hard, he was popular with his teammates and coaching staff, but on this Bullets team when healthy, there was no use for him and as a result they moved him on from his third NBL club.
36ers axe Craig Randall II
Forget the talk in the official announcement about this being a mutual parting of ways, the Adelaide 36ers unceremoniously sacked Craig Randall II after their last up loss at home to the Perth Wildcats.
When this 36ers team was put together with coach CJ Bruton putting his stamp on it, it was all about playing the style he wanted and that was to push the pace, to put a lot of the points on the board and to be a shooting team.
Randall fit that bill perfectly and then shocked the world with 35 points and nine three-pointers in the win against the NBA’s Phoenix Suns.
Then if you look at his NBL numbers this season of 20.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists on 47.8 shooting from the field and 40.0 from downtown, and they are solid enough.
But all they are is numbers. The reality was that Randall dominated keeping hold of the ball, he dominated the shot taking and on a team with so many weapons, he just didn’t do enough to get them all involved.
The Sixers’ best performance this season came without him where Robert Franks and Daniel Johnson combined for 53 points at a hot shooting clip against the Illawarra Hawks. Two days later and Randall returned, the ball stopped moving and they lost to the Wildcats.
That’s not all. Randall is an emotional and temperamental young man, and once he lost the support of his biggest backer in coach Bruton, it was all over.
They had a long-running argument mid-game when Bruton took Randall off a couple of weeks ago, and then when Randall voiced his displeasure over coming off the bench against Perth, his papers were sealed.
He was shown the door soon after the game and the reality is everyone at the 36ers breathed a huge sigh of relief.
United finally move Caroline on
This has been an on-going saga with Jordan Caroline proving not to be what Melbourne United was looking for virtually from the opening game of the season.
Once Next Star Ariel Hukporti got hurt, United needed someone to step up and help Isaac Humphries handle the centre position and provide that inside presence who could rebound strongly, and finish around the rim.
Unfortunately for Caroline whose effort and attitude you can’t fault and you could see he was trying, he just wasn’t quite big enough or athletic enough to go against the genuine bigs in the NBL.
As a result, he only shot 27 per cent from the field in the six games he played where he was averaging just 5.5 points and 6.2 rebounds.
Coach Dean Vickerman made it clear that United were looking to replace him several weeks ago but his release has still not been officially confirmed even though his departure has been pending for some time and we’ve certainly already seen the last of him in the NBL.
Wildcats slump to fifth straight loss | 00:54
WHAT ELSE IS IN THE WORKS
Can anyone entice Adams?
The reigning NBL MVP Jaylen Adams is now available after parting ways with his club in Serbia, now the big question is if any club can lure him back to the league this season.
Adams has said that he’d only like to return to the Sydney Kings where he starred last season to be the league’s MVP, but they won’t be making a change to bring him in happy with his replacement point guard Derrick Walton Jr.
Given Adams has made it clear his love of the Kings, it won’t be easy for another club to sign him and then let him loose to compete with Sydney for the championship. At the same time if you are him, having a job of some sort surely is better than no job.
That leaves the question as to who should be making a play for him and there’s strong cases at the Adelaide 36ers, Melbourne United and the Brisbane Bullets for him.
Randall’s replacement
The Adelaide 36ers clearly didn’t have a readymade replacement once they parted ways with Craig Randall II or else that new player would have already been signed and in town during this FIBA break.
The Sixers just had to get him out of their organisation and move forward without him, and then get to work on figuring out his replacement.
His replacement won’t be in town for Round 7 which sees the 36ers in action in Melbourne against United on Thursday night, but they can’t afford to wait too long and let their 3-4 record get any worse.
Clearly what they need is an import point guard and one who has more of a pass-first mentality than Randall.
It would be a bonus if he could score and shoot as well, but just someone who can take care of the ball, set up the offence and find Daniel Johnson, Robert Franks, Anthony Drmic and Sunday Dech to score and shoot with the all-round talents of Antonius Cleveland and Mitch McCarron alongside him would be perfect.
Jaylen Adams fits all those needs. If he can’t be lured, then someone with a similar skill sets needs to arrive in Adelaide quick.
Walker’s replacement
Which direction the Brisbane Bullets go in replacing Devondrick Walker is going to be fascinating.
The reason he was moved on is because they didn’t need someone with his skill set so they don’t need a scoring focused two/three man.
What they could use is likely either a genuine point guard or a slashing, rebounding and defending three/four man. Those two types of players couldn’t be more different so what Brisbane decide they need is going to be truly interesting.
They don’t necessarily desperately need a point guard because they have Jason Cadee, Nathan Sobey and Tyler Johnson already. But all three of those guys can benefit from playing alongside a point guard, again someone with Jaylen Adams’ skill set.
However, if they stick with the guards they have and the bigs they have with Aron Baynes, Harry Froling, Ty Harrison and DJ Mitchell, then it could be that three/four swingman to give them some size and athleticism they decide to bring in.
Caroline’s replacement
Quite simply, Melbourne United need someone to replace Jordan Caroline to give them exactly what they needed him to be providing.
Had Ariel Hukporti not ruptured his Achilles and shared the centre position with Isaac Humphries, then Caroline might have been OK as the power forward. But once he was more needed to play against the genuine bigs he was found wanting.
So Melbourne now needs an import who is big and powerful, somebody who can be a defensive presence and rebounding force at one end, and who can be a post presence and finish around the rim at the other.
If he can stretch the floor and shoot that’s a bonus, but not necessarily a prerequisite.
The ideal type of player would be someone who gives them what Dererk Pardon is giving the New Zealand Breakers. But United have already been searching for Caroline’s replacement for up to a month and have yet to bring that player in yet.
Kings coach explains road dominance | 05:36
MOVES THAT SHOULD BE/NEED TO BE MADE
George King/power forward import
The Illawarra Hawks are in a world of hurt having lost seven straight matches and unfortunately import three man George King might be a luxury they can’t afford to carry.
The Hawks have loaded up the back court with Tyler Harvey and Peyton Siva while Sam Froling is anchoring the front court, but they are proving mighty thin outside of that.
While King has shown at times he can shoot and score in the league, for the Hawks to have any chance of turning their season around they need somebody who gives them more in more areas.
Somebody who is bigger and can help Froling more up front would be a much better fit on this team than King. They need someone who can be a physical presence and crash the boards, set screens, be a defensive force and then provide a post attacking option.
Ideally Froling and an import big would then start in the front court backed up by Mangok Mathiang and Deng Deng. You have Harvey and Siva as guards backed up by Lachie Dent, and you can have Wani Swaka Lo Buluk, Tim Coeenraad and Alex Mudronja sharing the three spot.
That appears a better balanced roster to give them a competitive chance.
Rayjon Tucker/United point guard
Rayjon Tucker talked a big game coming into this season dubbing himself the best incoming import for NBL23, but he just hasn’t been able to back that up.
Never was that more evident than in Melbourne’s two games in Round 6 prior to the break where he combined for 14 points on 5/11 shooting. That’s across two games – one a 25-point loss and one a 25-point win.
While it would be a big call for United to change a second import with them already looking for Jordan Caroline’s replacement, the reality is that Tucker either delivers what they need or they’ll have no choice but to look to upgrade on him or they might find themselves out of the playoff hunt.
If United looks for a replacement, they basically require a guard with a similar skill set to Tucker. Someone who can be a bit more dynamic than perhaps Xavier Rathan-Mayes, Shea Ili and Chris Goulding while providing a balance of shooting, scoring and ball handling.
Wildcats/Manek/Cotton citizenship/Walker
The Perth Wildcats won’t admit it, but had Brady Manek not played match-winner in the last game before the break against the Adelaide 36ers then he likely would no longer be on the roster.
However, given he was already a popular member of the team, now that he’s shown what he’s capable of that is enough to lock him in for the rest of the season.
But whether or not this Wildcats roster still has enough to get them back to the playoffs is a fascinating conundrum, and so is the fact that Bryce Cotton’s pending citizenship is taking so long.
If a miracle happens and Cotton’s citizenship comes through within the next couple of weeks and suddenly he counts as a local and the ‘Cats have an import spot free, they would have an intriguing decision to make.
Devondrick Walker appears to have the skill set the Wildcats most require. He can shoot and score, adds some size and athleticism, and would be an ideal second scoring threat to Cotton.
Add in the fact that Cotton and Walker are best of friends, Walker spent time this off-season training with the Wildcats and dominating the NBL1 West, and he would be the ideal addition to this Perth team.
The only problem is, it can only happen should Cotton get that long-awaiting citizenship.