36ers

And they keep on rolling on with a big away win against the Sydney Kings.

The inclusion of D Johnson at the back end of the season has balanced the side very well.

Yet another great win for the 36rs, arguably the most in form side in the compitition at this stage of the season.

Well that's the end of the minor round with the 36rs winning easily on Sunday and finishing 3rd.

The last few months have seen an incredible turn around from a terrible start to the season with the first final on Thursday in New Zealand. It is the first of three against them, with the second being at home and if a third is needed that will be played in NZ.

Apparently Ticketmaster (who recently took over Adelaide Arena's ticket agency Proticket) completely ballsed up the members pre-sale, with discounts not applied, people seating in the wrong areas etc.

Let's hope their system doesn't completely crash when the public sale starts tomorrow.

Got thrashed by the New Zealand Breakers tonight 111-82 in game one and will meet them at home on Saturday, but after that huge loss it will take a huge turn around to win, but laa is not lost.

i came across a score, they're getting smashed again, nearing 3/4 time New Zealand lead 62-45

Well that's the season done and dusted for the 36rs beaten at home by the NZ Breakers by 11 points.
I will tip the Breakers to go top.

Disappointing finish after such a strong run into the finals.

The New Zealand Breakers today won there fifth title in six years against the Cairns Taipans in the NBL.
With the scores locked together at 81 a piece and with one second on the clock there last shot went through the hoop.
The scenes after the shot went in was incredible to see, well done to what has become the most outstanding team in the NBL.

Testying times in the NBL ?

Wollongong and Townsville have  both gone  into voluntary administration in the last couple of weeks
The 8 team NBL comp could very well be a 6 team comp in 2016

One of the 6 teams would be the New Zealand Breakers
That would leave 5 Australian entities

There is a history of teams in and out of the comp
This is the teams of the inaugural comp of 1979

Bankstown Bruins
Canberra Cannons
City Of Sydney Astronauts
Glenelg Tigers
Newcastle Falcons
Nunawading Spectres
St Kilda Saints
West Adelaide Bearcats
Wollongong 

Wollongong Hawks have been in the comp from Day 1
If they dont field a team in 2016, that means none of original named teams will be left in the comp

Would a 6 team comp equate to a higher standard ?
Would a 6 team comp mean less people attending and following the comp ?
Will there be a time where the comp will have 10 + teams ?

What is the future of the NBL ?
It will no doubt survive 
But can the comp ever really prosper if teams are created and liquidated within shortish frames of time ?

What is going on with basketball in this country?

It was massive when I was at school (90's). Every second kid was playing it and talking about Michael Jordan, Scotty Pippen, blah blah blah. Luke Longley was the Boomer that had everyone talking, along with Andrew Gaze of course.

It seems to still be played at a regional level, but that popularity just doesn't seem to translate to the highest level.

Perhaps it's because there are more lucrative sports out there if you have talent, I know AFL has poached their fair share of basketballers over the last 10 - 15 years.

It is odd because you would really think it should prosper.

I recall in the 80s it was huge and that was before the large stadiums were common. It started as a club based competition, but soon became a city based one.

But in that period I think basketball popularity rode on the back of a lot of NBA interest. With blokes like Magic, Bird, Kareem, Dr J Erving and then Jordan coming along it was probably a golden era of the NBA too.

We don't see much of the NBA anymore unless you may have foxtel, but with the tenuous nature of teams coming and going in Australia, you wonder just how sustainable the basketball framework is.

TV rights play a big part, but we seem to have that covered at the moment. But is the sport devoid of top end major sponsors maybe? Don't know.

Is the sport paying imports and local talent salaries they can't afford?

It is not providing a stable platform for the sport, when franchises come and go so regularly.

Clearly the current model isn't sustainable.

Perhaps travel costs are playing a part? The market is pretty tight for sponsorship these days as well, and if you're looking for exposure you would clearly go with Football or Soccer as the ideal IMO.

Perhaps they should look at switching it to a winter season?

I think it used to be winter season circa 80s.
I think they switched it to summer for that reason. To get away from footy / soccer.

But that was 30 years ago, so maybe things have changed and there is too much already happening socially in summer for people to commit.

Soccer has switched to summer as well since then.

Basketball just seems like a sport that would be attractive to watch in winter given that it's played indoors.

I don't know whether switching the season to winter will have any affect whatsoever, the voluntary administration process allows a company having cash or solvency problems breathing space from its creditors to restructure.

It is really working out whether they can work out whether they can survive or not.

Hopefully for the clubs involved it works out in the positive as a 6 team national competition IMO would be a very expensive deal for those that are left, an lets be honest here it would be an embarrassment to continue.