MELBOURNE (Paulo Kennedy’s View from Downunder) - A friend remarked that I have been writing quite a bit about the WNBL lately in this column, and I guess there’s good reason for that.

This WNBL season has been superb, a world above the relative predictability of previous seasons, and complete with superstar talent like Lauren Jackson, Penny Taylor and Cappie Pondexter, along with plenty of other quality players.

I have been impressed by the way their clubs - and in the case of Jackson a partnership of various organisations – have gone out and picked up high-class players to suit.

Whether that be the superstars we mentioned, or signings like Cayla Francis to Townsville, Louella Tomlinson to West Coast or Leilani Mitchell to Sydney, teams have made astute signings to create a deep and fascinating competition.

In many ways they are catching up to the NBL, which has had highly unpredictable games night-in, night-out for a number of years, but this week the men’s league showed in some ways they are lagging behind.

No thanks, we’re full

With Sidney Kings import Josh Childress out for the season with a shoulder injury, he helped arrange quality former NBA journeyman and occasional scoring machine Al Harrington as a potential replacement.

Great news, right? Wrong. A long-standing NBL rule bizarrely says if a team has played 75% of their games they can’t add any new players except in exceptional circumstances.

Sadly, league HQ decided not to exercise the discretion that wording allowed them and knocked back the chance to sign an elite talent to the league.

It’s been an odd year, the NBL introducing a marquee player rule, spending almost nothing to promote the quality players who have come to the competition, and then putting a roadblock in the way of Sydney signing Harrington. Remarkable.

The ‘logic’ of the rule is to stop a team loading their line-up late in the season to push into the playoffs or get themselves a higher seed.

But that logic has no relevance in the situation of a team losing a player to injury. This isn't stacking a team, it’s simply replacing someone who is lost to the team.

Why shouldn’t a team be able to replace an injured player at any stage of the regular season? If the NBL fears shenanigans, then require an independent medical assessment before a replacement can be signed.

Ignoring the precedent

You could say this is a new situation so the NBL should be given time to adjust, but the reality is this situation happened to Sydney two years ago, when import guard Corin Henry was injured.

Basketball Australia, who ran the league at that stage, decided the Kings couldn’t replace Henry and left them to end the season undermanned, playing basketball that dragged down the league’s product.

The owners took over running the NBL to be better at these sorts of things, so this rule should have already been altered.

The fact it hasn’t been, and the fact the league failed to use common sense when faced with the situation once again, is a big cross next to their name as far as fans concerned. Supporters want decisions made for the best of the league, not because “those are the rules” or because various clubs are pressuring for outcomes that best suit them, not the good of the competition.

What makes it most disappointing for me is last season, when faced with another non-sensical rule which stated a player cut by a team couldn’t return in the same season, the NBL went with common sense.

Why was that so hard this time? Whatever the reason the NBL has let the fans down, who could have been watching Harrington taking on the top-of-the-table Taipans on national TV this Sunday. 

On the upside

At least there is plenty of good news to report on the women’s side, with Melbourne Boomers and Australian Opals young gun Bec Allen signing a deal with the New York Liberty in the WNBA.

Allen belies her off-court demeanour with a fierce competitive streak once she crosses that white line, a trait that also shines through in how much she has improved her game on the practice court in the past two years.

‘Spider’ isn't Australia's only new stateside signing though, FIBA World Championship for Women duo Cayla Francis and Leilani Mitchell both signing with the Phoenix Mercury, seemingly Australia’s own WNBA franchise!

And, in news that broke today, inspirational Melbourne Boomers skipper Tess Madgen – who narrowly missed out on the world champs - will also head to Phoenix to join compatriots Penny Taylor and Erin Phillips.

It’s a well-earned reward for a young lady who has carried an enormous burden leading a very young Boomers team this WNBL season.

I was lucky enough to catch up with the “affable” Madgen this week and penned this piece if you fancy a read.

Road building

Finally, I think it’s great to see the pathway from Australia to the USA and the world’s best club leagues for men and women getting stronger.

The relative success of James Ennis for the Miami Heat this season has shown the NBL can be a breeding ground for NBA players.

With Jordan McRae, DeAndre Daniels, Brock Motum and Scottie Wilbekin all choosing to follow the same path this season as they try to crack The Show, a couple of more success stories could really open up exciting things for the NBL.

As for the WNBL, well Aussie girls have long been targeted by WNBA teams, but the examples of Allen and Madgen, who have progressed their games at home and received a call-up without first stopping in Europe, is a great example of what is possible for other local players.

Full credit to Melbourne coach Guy Molloy for the intense development work he has put into those two talented players, and the faith he has had in them to lead his team while still young in years.

Paulo Kennedy

FIBA

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