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Offseason Huge Success for Sixers

  • benjaminducker5254
  • Aug 6, 2024
  • 13 min read

Hey everyone! Today I'm going to be reviewing all the offseason moves from the Adelaide 36ers and explain why I think it's been a HUGE success.


The first major move this offseason didn't actually happen in the offseason. At the end of 2023 the club managed to re-sign Dejan Vasiljevic to a 3 year deal which was incredible. Vasiljevic joined the team early on in the NBL 24 season effectively replacing Jamaal Franklin. It was immediately obvious the spark that DJ brought to the team during what was a rough time. The 2 time NBL champion hit the ground running and changed the vibe around the team very quickly. The sharpsooter lit it up and instantly became a crowd favourite and was also able to handle the ball quite a lot, attack the basket and make others around him better. In my opinion he became the best player on the team and led from the front all the way so to be able to keep him for the next 3 years was amazing news!


Not too long after Head Coach CJ Bruton and the 36ers mutually agreed to part ways and 36ers legend Scott Ninnis was elevated to Interim Head Coach and would coach for the rest of the season. It was pretty clear early on that the team improved a lot in a short amount of time after Ninnis took over. And while it may not have led to many wins early on, the intensity and vibe around the team was much higher. He made it pretty clear early on what needed to change in order to get the most out of this team. The main things being that he simplified everything, gave players more freedom, pushed the pace, made Isaac Humphries a focal point of the offense especially early on in games and unfortunately had to make some tough calls limiting the minutes of some veterans in order to play young emerging talents Nick Marshall and Kyrin Galloway more.


He also did something I was personally really hoping to see which was putting the ball in import Trey Kell's hands more and allowing him to play the point. The reason I was hoping to see this for a while was because up until this point Kell had been struggling to shoot the ball this season despite him being a great shooter. Kell is a big guard and has played the point before so i thought getting the ball in his hands and involving him in the offense more could help him get his rhythm going and play a bigger role. Kell is also extremely unselfish and plays at his own pace so he is great at dishing dimes and getting teammates great looks. The change was evident early on with Kell posting the first triple double of the season not long after and his output in all aspects of the game improved significantly.


With more time for Nick Marshall he was able to work his way in to the starting line up, get a lot more comfortable and ended up guarding some of the leagues best players. On the other hand Kyrin Galloway was eventually given more minutes as well and showed how much of a star on the rise he is being effective on both ends of the court. Shooting the ball with confidence on one end and sending shots packing on the other ultimately ended up with him forcing his way in to the starting line up as well. My point being Ninnis came in as Head Coach midway through the season to a team he hadn't built and turned things around getting the most out of several guys on the team. He ultimately ended the season with a positive 8-7 record which was a significant turnaround given the circumstances.


When the season came to an end he was a legitimate candidate to get the job however faced competition from legendary coach Brian Goorjian to get the job. Now don't get me wrong Goorjian is an incredible coach but I was personally hoping Ninnis would get the job because it was evident the impact he had on this team with guys like Vasiljevic stating several times that he wanted Ninnis to get the job.


Goorjian ended up deciding he didn't want to take the job saying he knew how well Scott had done and didn't want to take that away from him. Ninnis then ended up getting the job on a 2 year deal which was more great news!


Now with Ninnis officially as coach he made it very clear what the top priority was, re-signing Club MVP Isaac Humphries. As previously mentioned since Ninnis took over in the back end of last season he made a focal point of Isaac and going to him early and often. Isaac really shined under Ninnis and became even better than what he already was. I personally think he is the best local 5 man in the league and after averaging 15.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game in just 25 minutes last season it's very obvious why he was the top priority. With plenty of other interest around the world and in the NBL especially from Sydney it wasn't going to be easy. However after a while the 36ers managed to re-sign him on a 3 year deal just like Vasiljevic. To have arguably the best shooter in the league and best 5 man in the league both as locals locked away was an amazing start to the offseason!

Photo by: Chirs Hyde/Getty Images


The next move the 36ers made was to bring in a GM of basketball which is something I think is pretty important. On March 18th 2024 the Sixers brought in Matt Weston to fill that role. Weston has over 2 decades of experience in basketball and business spanning from the NBA to China and even the NBL. This set the 36ers up well to navigate the rest of the offseason and help put a clear plan in place for the NBL25 roster and what holes needed to be filled as well as what each players role would be. Personally I hadn't heard of Weston beforehand so I didn't know how good he would be but after seeing how the roster has turned out and hearing him speak on giving each player clarity on what their role is, I have been very impressed. I think not only has he and Scott and the rest of the team set us up well for this season but also for seasons to come so we can be competing for finals year after year. I will get into this more later in the article.


Now having Weston and the 3 major pieces all re-signed on long term deals the 36ers were in an amazing position early on. The next priority for Ninnis however was to re-sign emerging star Kyrin Galloway. Unfortunately that was the only one of the priority signings the Sixers couldn't get done however they waited no time in identifying key free agent Lat Mayen as a replacement. So although losing Kyrin was not ideal, Matt Weston and Scott Ninnis were very smart to bring in a South Australian who has many of the same qualities as Kyrin does. Both long, athletic guys who shoot the ball at a high level and buy in defensively.

Photo via: nbl.com.au


The next re-signing was an underrated one being Alex Starling. Starling had his debut season in the NBL last year for the 36ers after receiving Australian Citizenship allowing him to be a local in the league. Starling has been dominating NBL1 for a long time and is an extremely important culture guy and veteran. His stats last season may not jump off the page but the impact he has on the team is high. He's a big body that comes in and plays hard, gets rebounds, blocks shots and dives for loose balls. He does all the little things you need in a good team. He's a roleplayer and he does it extremely well so while some may overlook this, I think it was a really smart re-signing. He can come in for 4-5 minute blocks and help give Isaac a rest.


The next signing was a nice surprise. The 36ers had been building a nice local core and keeping continuity from last season with all the re-signings to go along with Jason Cadee, Sunday Dech and Nick Marshall who were already contracted. One of the glaring issues so far though was the depth of the frontcourt. There were Humphries and Starling but no one else and seeing at this point Jacob Rigoni was rumoured to also be re-signing that meant the team could only go with 2 imports and they were most likely going to be a point guard and a power forward. So when the 36ers announced they had signed local centre Ben Griscti to a 3 year deal it was much needed. Griscti had been playing in the NCAA college system for the past 3 years but also had the option of playing AFL for the Crows or Port Adelaide. From what I heard Matt Weston say it sounded like the 36ers have had their eye on Griscti but were more so planning on signing him the following year. However with him returning home and AFL teams having interest the 36ers were pleased to be able to convinve him to choose basketball. I don't know how good he is going to be immediately at the NBL level but what I do know is any minutes at the 5 to help Humphries is important and he will be an amazing player for many years to come. A 7ft South Australian who can shoot the ball as well a he does is very hard to find.

Photo via: nbl.com.au


Next up as previously mentioned was the re-signing of Jacob Rigoni who came in as an injury replacement player last season. A 6ft "6" forward who can also shoot the ball at a high level and is yet another South Australian to add to the group. Scott Ninnis made a real point on wanting to have a local contingent and to build a core group instead of having huge turnover season to season. There is always going to be change but the good teams keep a solid core together and build from that. Rigoni fits that perfectly and will be a great NBL player in time.

Photo via: nbl.com.au


With this the local contingent was complete and I think the 36ers did a very good job. The goal was to keep a solid core together and that's exactly what they did with Jason Cadee, Sunday Dech, Nick Marshall, Dejan Vasiljevic, Isaac Humphries, Alex Starling and Jacob Rigoni all having at least spent last season together. That's 7 guys in total returning which is much more consistent than the huge turnover in players seasons prior. You add Ninnis to that mix who coached last season as well and you have a really stable foundation to build on from last year. It's also not re-signing players just for the sake of re-signing them. They were able to secure 2 marquee players on long term contracts in Dejan Vasiljevic and Isaac Humphries and then have really solid role players around them. They then were able to bring in a key guy in Lat Mayen early on to help with the loss of Kyrin and then secure an amazing talent in Ben Griscti who not only will be important now but for many years to come. Also being able to keep Ninnis as coach in my opinion was vital. They were also able to succeed in their other goal which was keeping South Australians in Adelaide. By having Lat Mayen, Nick Marshall, Alex Starling, Ben Griscti and Jacob Rigoni all on the team they did exactly that. And it's not just having South Australians for the sake of having South Australians. These are high level guys who have earned it and will have a big impact on the team.


At this stage the attention turned to the 2 final pieces of the puzzle and the most important ones at that. The imports. The 36ers haven't had the greatest success with imports in recent times so it was crucial they didn't rush into a decision and found the right guys from both a player and person perspective. While some fans grew impatient the 36ers were doing their due dilligiance and went through an exhaustive process to make sure they found the right guys. Scott Ninnis said he has had hundreds of names on his whiteboard and the 36ers talked to a bunch of different guys. It was reported by Olgun Uluc that the 36ers had conversations with former NBL MVP Jaylen Adams as well as other top proven imports in the league such as DJ Hogg and Jarrell Brantley.


Ultimately those didn't end up happening and the 36ers went to the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. This is a chance to get a look at guys you may want to sign in person as well as have meetings with players, agents and other important people to find imports for not only this season but to keep an eye on for future ones. There was one guy the 36ers had been doing their due dilligiance on for several months and he was playing for the Portland Trailblazers at Summer League. This was Kendric Davis who is a 6ft point guard who spent last season playing for the Santa Cruz Warriors in the NBA G-League. He started his College career at the TCU Horned Frogs before transferring to SMU and played for the Mustangs for 3 seasons. At the end of the 2021-22 season Davis was named AAC player of the Year averaging 19.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. For his final season of eligibility he transferred to Memphis to play for the Tigers where he averaged 22 points, 3.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists. This past season with the Santa Cruz Warriors he was named on the All-Rookie Team averaging 18.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 8.8 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting the ball 42% from the field and 36% from three. While at Summer League Matt Weston, Scott Ninnis and Mike Wells (assistant coach) were able to meet with him and ultimately end up getting the deal done.


It's very clear how good Davis is in all aspects of the game. He's a true point guard that can lead the team, score the ball from anywhere as well as get his teammates involved and make the right play. He's also great defensively and with the handle, speed and craftiness he has I think he will put on a show this season and be one of if not the best imports in the league. Even though it's his first time playing overseas, I don't think it will take him long to get adjusted and really he is an NBA level guy. Wouldn't be surprised by the end of the season to see him work his way onto an NBA roster. He's exactly what the 36ers needed being a true point guard which is something we haven't had for a while. I must admit I was sceptical at first when I heard that the Hawks had signed Trey Kell instead of us but it is clear now that Matt Weston, Scott Ninnis and everyone else knew what they were doing and who they had in mind. Finally Davis is a winner, a relentless competitor and seems like a great guy.


With Davis locked in only the final piece remained. An import power forward. The 36ers again took their time and did their due diligence and it was obvious that the goal with the second import was to have someone who has played in the league before. They also wanted someone who can slide to the 5 to help Isaac Humphries becuse like I previously said our only other centre is Ben Grsicti who is still very young and new to the league. The 36ers eventually got it down to 2 guys, Zylan Cheatham and Jarell Martin. When I hard it was down to these guys I was ecstatic because you can't go wrong either way. Cheatham is more athletic where as Martin is bigger allowing to cover for Isaac better. They are both proven in the NBL and high level imports. Cheatham ended up signing with the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins in Japan meaning the 36ers honed in on Jarell Martin.


Jarell Martin is a 6ft "10" power forward who can shoot the ball extremely well, put the ball on the deck and be a strong presence down low. As previously mentioned he can play at the 5 as well for periods which is crucial for this team in my opinion. He's also solid defensively and is an NBL champion with the Sydney Kings so he knows the league extremely well. He's spent the past 2 seasons playing at powerhouse teams Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in Israel and Galatasaray in Turkey. Martin also has a wealth of experience in the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic. He also has past experience playing with DJ Vasiljevic at the Sydney Kings which is nice already having that chemistry there.

Photo via: The Sydney Morning Herald


Finally that just leaves the 3 DPs (Development Players). The 36ers were able to keep Keanu Rasmussen from last season as well as bring back Fiston Ipassou who has been a DP with the 36ers before. For the final spot they signed Patrick D'Arcy who is a young talent. These are all great players with a bright future and are smart signings by the 36ers. The one I am personally the most excited about though is the fact they were able to keep Keanu Rasmussen. He is a serious player and has been dominating in the NZNBL averaging 18.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game as well as being nominated for the 2024 NZNBL Youth Player of the Year. He's an 188cm guard that is very skilled and athletic, handles the ball well, is quick and can set up his teammates. I think he will be an amazing NBL player very soon.


That concludes all the roster moves this offseason however the 36ers have also added a wealth of experience to the coaching ranks to support Scott Ninnis. They started by signing Mike Wells as lead assistant coach. Wells has spent three decades coaching in the US and has 26 years of experience in the NBA as well as with Team USA. He's been an assistant coach with the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs as well as being assistant coach with the Charlotte Hornets last season. To get someone with this level of experience is huge and I think will compliment Scott perfectly. And with that level of experience in the US comes with a lot of contacts and as previously mentioned Mike sat down to talk to Kendric Davis and ultimately help get that deal done.


The 36ers then added Marko Marinovic as senior assistant coach. Marinovic adds a lot more experience both playing and coaching in Europe and is currently an assistant coach with the Serbian national team at the Olympics. This is another really great signing and adds another layer to the coaching group.


This coaching group covers all bases with Ninnis being an amazing Head Coach and knows Australia/the NBL really well obviously. Wells has extensive experience and contacts in the US and in NBA. And Marinovic has the experience and contacts in Europe.


Finally the 36ers added Igor Cvjetkovic as assistant coach and brought back Michael Lake as another assistant coach from last season.


And that's a wrap on the Offseason for the 36ers and I think they have done an amazing job at both adding to the the playing group with the right guys as well as keeping a solid core together from last year. They have also really added to the coaching ranks and have a really experienced group that all offer something unique. This is something for the Sixers to build on and I think sets them up for an exciting season. They also added a GM of basketball in Weston who I think has done an incredible job this offseason.


Now it's about bringing everyone together and I'm excited to see the 36ers in action during the NBL Blitz!


Outs: Mitch McCarron, Jacob Wiley, Trey Kell III, Kyrin Galloway, Tohi Smith-Milner, Trentyn Flowers, Akech Aliir

Ins: Lat Mayen, Kendric Davis, Jarell Martin, Ben Griscti, Patrick D'Arcy, Fiston Ipassou


Potential Depth Chart:


  1. Davis | Cadee | Rasmussen

  2. Vasiljevic | Dech | Ipassou

  3. Mayen | Marshall | D'Arcy

  4. Martin | Starling | Rigoni

  5. Humphries | Griscti


 
 
 

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