Sydney Kings recruit Sam Young and Miami Heat superstar LeBron James during Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals at AmericanAirlines Arena on May 24 in Miami during Young's stint with the Indiana Pacers. Photo: Getty Images
NBL fans have been here many times before, especially Sydney Kings supporters.
High-profile American imports are going to boost the league and those turnstiles are going to be spinning like a three-sixty dunk.
Many times it has turned into mush. For those who haven't eradicated from the memory bank such names as Matt "Super" Nover, Kenne Young, Kelsey Weems and Kendrick Johnson (and they're just some of the many imports from the Kings alone who have turned out to be duds), let's just say there are few guarantees when it comes to foreign recruits living up to their star billing.
Even guys like Drew Barry (60 games in three seasons at Atlanta and Golden State) and Acie Earl (193 matches in five seasons at Boston, Toronto and Milwaukee) didn't cut the mustard in their Sydney stints for various reasons.
So why should both the casual fan and the diehard NBL supporter expect any different this time around?
Again, there are no guarantees but every piece of information on Sam Young points to a player who doesn't accept mediocrity.
Any player who takes an air mattress to the gymnasium so he can spend more time working out is a player who has an incredible work ethic.
When Young touched down in Sydney late last week, the Kings decided to put him through a workout.
Not only did he show no signs of jetlag, Young blew Kings officials away with his stamina.
"Off the charts" was the common reply from within the Sydney camp when asked about how he went.
Young was close to scoring a contract with the San Antonio Spurs, another team with a renowned work ethic. Turning his back on bigger dollars on offer elsewhere, he is keen for court time and an opportunity to relaunch a career in the NBA.
And the NBL officials could not have dreamed up a better first match for Young. Well, it probably would have been better if it was in Sydney, but the fact that he'll match up against Wildcats import James Ennis in his Kings debut will ensure Perth Arena is again close to its full capacity of 12,000, if not a sellout.
Young is a similar player to Ennis, the Miami Heat draftee who has wowed fans Down Under this season. They both have the hops to reel off spectacular dunks but both have tremendous defensive skills.
The only significant difference between the pair is experience – Ennis is fresh out of college whereas Young has spent six seasons racking up 249 NBA games at Memphis, Philadelphia and Indiana.
In his last appearance for the Pacers in the 2013 Eastern Conference finals, Young was banging bodies with LeBron James and getting under the Miami Heat superstar's skin.
You can't buy that kind of experience. Well, not normally in the NBL anyway, but the Kings now have it.
Sydney coach Shane Heal was at pains this week to express how Young's signing doesn't mean the other players can rest on their laurels. In fact, the opposite is the case. They should be trying to impress this guy as much as possible.
If Young returns to the NBA, the Australian league needs him to spread the word about the professionalism of the league. That even though it doesn't have the financial attractions players might find in Europe or China, it's a competition where NBA-standard players can thrive alongside skilful teammates who can help get them back to the Big Show. The same situation applies in Melbourne with Mustapha Farrakhan, who was close to getting a start with the LA Clippers, in the recent pre-season.
The NBL is under the microscope at the moment just as much as this crop of stellar imports.
Heal was blindsided at a corporate media luncheon last week when news of Young's signing broke out.
You could tell he was not ready to share the news but in the digital age, once word is out, there's nothing you can do to stop it.
He still had to have a hard conversation with one of his incumbent imports, Jesse Sanders, which he did, and the dumped point guard took it on the chin.
Heal explained he was not particularly unhappy with Sanders' efforts and the team was on track to make the playoffs but he, and the team, wanted more. They want to lift the trophy this year.
With Young on board, that's now a possibility.
Taking it to the poll
Last week's NBL poll asking where the next expansion team should be based attracted more than 1200 votes with Brisbane a clear winner with 40% of the vote but interestingly, South-East Asia was next best at 14% ahead of Melbourne (14%) and Western Sydney (9%).
In the NBA poll, Indiana swingman Paul George is a clear favourite for MVP honours, attracting 38% of the 1151 votes, beating out Kevin Love (16%) and LeBron James (12%).
Poll: Which import will have the biggest impact on the NBL this season?
- James Ennis (Perth)
40%
- Sam Young (Sydney)
47%
- Mustapha Farrakhan (Melbourne)
1%
- Jermaine Beal (Perth)
3%
- Gary Ervin (Adelaide)
3%
- Rotnei Clarke (Wollongong)
3%
- Kerron Johnson (Breakers)
0%
- Jamar Wilson (Cairns)
0%
- Charles Carmouche (Sydney)
0%
- Another player
3%
Total votes: 57.
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Poll closes in 7 days.
Disclaimer:
These polls are not scientific and reflect the opinion only of visitors who have chosen to participate.
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