Did the Tigers go too early?

 "If we're not playing games in October, I wouldn't be shocked to see an exodus.”  NBA free agent Shane Battier.

Let’s fast forward to October 2011 and the NBA still isn’t playing basketball and the players are getting antsy.  Their millions of dollars are dwindling after their tenth Mercedes Benz and A-List party and they need somewhere to just play basketball.  Insert Australia coming into summer with its babes, beaches and basketball that is a very tempting location for some off season practice.  There are no spots open in Europe or cash heavy China because all of the blue chip NBA players have snagged them and the lesser players are left out in the cold looking for some warmth.  Can you imagine Sydney running around with Chris Kaman or Ben Gordon suiting up for Townsville?  Older players who have made their money who still want to contribute to a team and maybe relive their prime in another place or young upstarts like Jerai Grant who want to showcase their skills to move on to greener pastures would be ideal to target as the competition wouldn’t have to be elite, just a place to keep their body in shape and get a little ego boost in the process.

But where does the Melbourne Tigers fit as they have already filled their import quota with Ron Dorsey and Ayinde Ubaka?  In any other year those two would be top flight guys to build a team around but with the looming cancellation of the NBA season will it be enough to send the team to the Promised Land?

I don’t think so.  This lockout is a once in a lifetime opportunity as it could possibly keep players out for a whole season.  What will the players do when they can’t play NBA basketball from October to June?  Like everyone else they need a constant salary and even though the NBL’s pay packet is only a fraction of their usual income it at least keeps them in game shape and puts food on the table.  How big would basketball be in Sydney if they can get a semi-household name like Josh Smith or Kendrick Perkins?  Looking back on the 2008-2009 season when the South Dragons won the title the insertion of Donta Smith sent shockwaves through the whole city.  Now people were talking about basketball.  There were more young women going to games to get a look at this ‘big black guy’ as one of my female friends called him because he was new and exciting.  Getting someone who can energise the league and bring excitement to the game like Smith did is within reach of the teams who want to take the chance.

Melbourne has shot themselves in the foot and the worst part is that it isn’t their fault.  They didn’t know that the NBA may be locked out for the entire season.  I will be barracking for them only because the Dragons folded but wouldn’t it be crazy if during the season they release either Dorsey or Ubaka and sign Carmelo Anthony.  Likely?  No way.  The best thing that would ever happen to this game?  Absolutely.