Heal, Fuller, Price

[mattyc]

For those unaware, a new Basketball franchise started up in Melbourne called the South Dragons with Mark Price as Coach, Shane Heal as Captain and Todd Fuller as it's big name Centre.

The Dragons lost 5 in a row, Price has re-signed, Heal has been annointed Captain-Coach and his first move was to sack Todd Fuller for his efforts on and off the court.

Interesting...

:dizzy

[T Park]

WOW!!!!



















































Shane Heal still plays basketball?

yuck.

[Kori Ellis]

So Heal is playing? Or just coaching?

[mattyc]

He's now playing...as the coach..and captain...He stated Todd Fuller was a passionless basketballer. Fuller had 22 points and 12 rebounds last night against Andrew Gaze's old team, Chris Ansteys current team.

There is one guy on Heal's team who should play NBA. Joe Ingles.

[xcoriate]

wtf?

Dude where are you pulling this from, there are no reports of it on the nbl website?

If true Shane Heal is off his tree... and I'd hate to see him tarnish a spectacular career now. Probably should never made the comeback.

[ChumpDumper]

Heal has played three games so far.

http://www.nbl.com.au/default.aspx?s=dragons_playerprofile&profile=323

[ChumpDumper]

Dragons cut Price
by: Naomi Levin
Sportal

NBA All-Star Mark Price has been sacked by the South Dragons after just five games in charge of the new NBL franchise, with import Todd Fuller also given his marching orders.

Former Boomer and Dragons point-guard Shane Heal will take over as captain/coach in the interim.

Dragons chairman Mark Cowan announced the team's board had requested Price's resignation and the American obliged.

According to Cowan and Heal, Price had found it difficult to relocate his young family to Australia and they thought that he was unable to spend the amount of time required by the team to commit to the new franchise.

"The basketball program wasn't achieving what we thought it should be achieving," Cowan said in explaining Price's demise.

Only five games into the year, Heal believes he can coach the Dragons to success in their debut season in the NBL.

"I think coming into a role like this, you would like to have the preparation, the selection of players and time to be able to get your philosophies onto the team so it's certainly not the ideal situation," Heal said.

"But at the same time, I believe in the guys and I'm hoping that we can bide on those philosophies and turn the season around because we are only five games in."

"I don't accept that this season is over by any stretch of the imagination." Cowan added.

American import Fuller was described by new coach Heal as having the 'wrong work ethic', despite the 32-year-old has averaging 16.8 points and eight rebounds in the first five games.

While the Dragons are on the lookout for a new import, former Cairns Taipans coach Guy Molloy has been signed as an assistant coach joining current assistant Scott Ninnis.

Price was asked by the club for his resignation on Wednesday and the club confirmed on Monday afternoon that his tenure was over.

Cowan admitted that the request would probably have come as a surprise for Price but that the board believed it was the best decision for the team.

"I don't think he saw it coming, no," Cowan said.

"We wanted to do something a little bit different in this league and Mark has wonderful credentials as a player."

"We felt for the Philips Championship we wanted to do something a little bit different," he said.

"I think unfortunately it hasn't worked out but we'll move on."

The four-time NBA All-Star leaves with a disastrous 0-5 record in what is the Dragons' inaugural season.

In Sunday's first-ever match-up between the Dragons and cross-town rivals the Melbourne Tigers, the defending NBL champions prevailed 128-108 after trailing at the main break.

After the derby loss, Price said he was looking forward to working hard to get the Dragons season back on track, giving no indication that he was in doubt about his future with the club.

"Yes I'm disappointed but I'm not discouraged and I'm just going to keep working at it. It's all I know how to do, it's all I've ever done my whole life," Price said after the game.

"I've been in a lot of tough situations in my life the only thing I know how to do is to keep battling and that's what I'm going to encourage my players to do."

http://www.sportal.com.au/basketball.asp?i=news&id=90098

[mattyc]

The Dragons shaped their marketing campaign around the hype of Price and Heal as the 2 to lead the team to greatness...seems Heal didn't get along with Price's introverted style.

[TDMVPDPOY]

tigers > dragons

[TDMVPDPOY]

team is made up of scrubs incl shane....dude didnt win anything b4 he was a king, that 4peat king team was made up of mainly american players and he rode them to 4 rings.

[MI21]

Ingles is really really talented. He could go places. I like him more than Newley who gets much NBA hype.

Spewin' about Price resigning. I wanted to meet him when the Dragons come to Perth later on in the season, oh well.

[Solid D]

The quote "We wanted to do something a little bit different in this league and Mark has wonderful credentials as a player." The missing word is "coach".

[SpursWillOwn]

Well the Singapore Slingers jus beaten their ass =) :lmao

[Parker 09]

Heal retired from the NBL after the first Kings grand final win. He wasn't there for the majority of the 3peat. They didn't win four in a row.
Fuller was terrible for them. He is the most unmotivated basketball player i have ever seen. Sure he got stats but he couldn't play a lick of defence.
Hammer's still got game but, hope he and Ingles get the Dragons going the right way.
Should be interesting to see him be a captain-coach.

[mattyc]

Price was just on the radio then. Basically admitted that Heal and co knifed Price out of his job. Heal and the administration knew of the Price situation during the game the other ngiht with the Tigers.

Terribly unprofessional from the Dragons and Heal if you ask me.

[SequSpur]

wtf is this all about?

[mattyc]

It's basically all about a rich businessman starting a new NBL franchise, getting former NBA star Price and NBA player Fuller as it's 2 key acquisitions to hype up the style of the franchise. Meanwhile, they sign Heal as captain as more style over substance.

Heal doesn't get on with Price, Heal threatens the management and gets his way with Price and Fuller seeing the door. Heal, an inexperienced coach takes the reigns. Again, style over substance.

Price and Fuller were badly burnt by the admin and Heal.

[timvp]

Heal should have done what he done. In fact while he was here I wish he would have done the same thing to Pop and Tim Duncan

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

How do you guys even watch NBL? I suppose you have cable? I can't remember the last time I watched an NBL game... oh no, yes I do, it was the Cannons' second last game in Canberra. :depressed

Matty, there's an important distinction between "resigned" (as in resignation) and "re-signed" (as in signed another contract). ;)

[xcoriate]

^ They showed a free to air Dragons game the other weak... I was like wtf?

Anyway, Heal is pretty much done but he can still do it occasionaly. He hit 5-5 from 3 in the first against the tigers though... in any event he is still better than the average NBL point guard.

coah-captain-player though? He's smoking, he has zero experience as a coach and he is way to involved in the admin side of things. He needs to concentrate on playing, and the Dragons need a real coach.

[TDMVPDPOY]

i dont watch nbl, even if its free2air, i still wouldnt watch it

A-League looks like the shit too be watchin in the summer.

i think i be at my first melb victory game this weekend with a few clowns.