NBL24 Round 12: Inside the 36ers’ plan to reshape their basketball program

As Adelaide 36ers hunt for a new coach and try to save their NBL campaign, go inside the reset the club is determined to ensure leads to its re-emergence as a title contender.

Adelaide is hunting for a strong coach-general manager combination to drive a cultural reset in its basketball department, rejuvenate its roster and provide a blueprint for sustained success.

After a miserable start to NBL24 that culminated in CJ Bruton’s departure, the club is aiming high on a permanent replacement.

The likes of legendary Boomers coach Brian Goorjian and former Perth mentor Trevor Gleeson are among those with the necessary skills — and availability — to transform an ailing program that has not made the playoffs since 2018 and hasn’t won a title in more than two decades.

It’s understood the club wants a strong basketball mind to work hand-in-glove with the new coach on a recruiting strategy that is likely to involve large-scale change to the current last-placed roster.

It’s been a turbulent time in Adelaide. Picture: Ben Clark

The Sixers have just three players under contract for next season — rising star Nick Marshall and out-of-favour veterans Jason Cadee and Sunday Dech — while import Jacob Wiley has a mutual option on his deal for NBL25, meaning either club or player could choose to part ways.

With the likes of captain Mitch McCarron, talented big man Isaac Humphries and import Trey Kell out-of-contract, there could be eight or more new faces in Sixers’ colours next season, although it’s understood there is some mutual interest in star guard Dejan Vasiljevic remaining in the City of Churches.

Club boss Nic Barbato confirmed a working group had been formed to shortlist potential candidates and, while he did not rule out interim Scott Ninnis, a club legend who has expressed a desire to stay in the job long term, he would not be drawn on any potential names.

“We want someone to come in and have a distinct plan in terms of how we’re going to drive our performance,” Barbato said.

“What we’ve missed is a galvanising of a culture within the basketball department, so that’s a real key element for us.

“It’s about turning this club around from being a club that hasn’t made finals for a number of years to a club that is up there, contending.”

The Sixers hope to make appointments by mid-February to ensure as much lead time as possible into free agency.

Mitch McCarron is encouraging his team to speak openly. (Photo by Sarah Reed/Getty Images)

CAPTAIN ENCOURAGES TEAMMATES TO SPEAK UP

In the wake of Bruton’s departure, McCarron made headlines with an expletive-laden practice-court tirade aimed at teammates.

He says there’s been no fallout from his brutal honesty and has encouraged teammates to speak up.

“We’re all men at the end of the day … we’re just talking honestly,” McCarron said.

“If anybody has feelings and they need to talk about something, say it.

“It doesn’t have to be out on the practice court but this is our sanctuary.

“If you need to say something on the court, say it, we’ll talk about it. If we need to have a private conversation, we’ll (do) that too.

“Everybody has that right to open their mouth and say what they need to say.”

The sellout crowd at Sunday’s Christmas Eve clash with Brisbane was treated to the 36ers’ first win since CJ Bruton departed and marked Scott Ninnis’ first victory since being named interim coach.

The final crowd figure of 9440 equaled the club’s biggest of the season

In the relieving 95-88 win, import Jacob Wiley had his best game of the season with 21 points and 11 boards while both DJ Vasiljevic (23) and Trey Kell (16) banged massive shots down the stretch to ensure the win.

Encouragingly for Sixers’s fans, three of those wins have been at Adelaide Entertainment Centre, where the club will celebrate the Festive season with a Christmas theme in the hope of securing their first victory under Ninnis at his third attempt.

Still only three wins shy of fifth as of Saturday, McCarron isn’t giving up on an unlikely finals berth — and he doesn’t expect his teammates to, either.

“Until you’re mathematically out, there’s no reason to quit,” McCarron said.

“I don’t see the quit from anybody. If you’re not playing for wins, then you’re playing for yourself.

“Even if we’re knocked out, I don’t expect anyone to turn around and go ‘All right, I’m going to give up on the season’.”

Where will the 36ers turn to replace CJ Bruton? (Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images)

SIXERS’ COACHING LOTTO

Outside of the obvious — Goorj, Trev and company — the Sixers will likely spread the net far and wide.

The club has battled periods of on-and-off-court dysfunction and

If they really want to lure a big fish from the NBA, the likes of Goorjian’s national team assistant and Gregg Popovich’s understudy in San Antonio Matt Nielsen — arguably Sydney’s greatest ever player — is seen as the country’s next-gen coaching star. Former Kings coach Damian Cotter, currently assisting Billy Donovan in Chicago, and Brooklyn Nets AC Adam Caporn also have NBA chops.

Could the Sixers look to the locals making big coin in Asia? Popular 2010 Perth Wildcats NBL champion Rob Beveridge (Pelita Jaya) is off the table after he signed to coach in Indonesia, but Adelaide could sound out the likes of Kiwi luminary Paul Henare (Shimane Susanoo Magic, Japan) or ex-Illawarra mentor Brendan Joyce (Kaohsiung Aquas, Taiwan).

A left-field option might be three-time WNBL Coach of the Year Shannon Seebohm, who is widely seen as one of the best mentors in Australia, having led Townsville to four titles since 2015 — The 35-year-old recently told Code Sports he was happy at the Fire but there are many who believe he deserves a chance in the NBL.

Should the Sixers decide to break new ground, Kings assistant Fleur McIntyre is in her third year in Sydney and is highly regarded, while Liz Mills has blazed a trail internationally.

As far as a GM of basketball is concerned, a ‘Chris Pongrass-type’ would be a dream scenario, even if the combination of basketball savvy and experience of the Sydney Kings’ dual-championship supremo is a rarity.

Originally published as NBL24 Round 12: Inside the 36ers’ plan to reshape their basketball program