Prophe(s)y.

My Newcastle Eagles preview - a lot of just plain recruitment oddities, but also some glimpses of potential working points and an identity.

A couple previews of a huge undertaking I've been undergoing the past few days after months of compiling information about new signings to our league - a 6000-word season preview detailing and analyzing every single team roster and where their strengths are/where they falter - starting with London.

Rival league forges ahead in fresh twist to British basketball’s civil war Former NBA executive Marshall Glickman, who heads the consortium awarded 15-year league licence, outlines bold plans for change with or without the Super League clubs

Not sure Mr Glickman is doing himself too many favours in this interview.

www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/m...

years without having to float all its clubs? Basically - the one aspect of a proposal the BBF is supposed to get right and put precedence toward has been horribly shortsighted on and clearly not cared much about. That's a failure on the BBF. (8/8)

If they're footing the bill subsidising all the clubs in the league (which is what you have to assume given they have none + venue issues) - how much money do they have to invest in this academy given they only have stated 20m - where 7m was used up by 777 in 3 (7/8)

How would this proposal be better than the offerings of Barking Abbey etc. if the academy isn’t playing in an equivalent playing level of the EABL or better like what some rumours have been circling with SLB U23 teams and a league? (6/8)

‘build a competitive national roster to compete in FIBA national events’? In terms of progression and throughput, what would be the progression plan for these 12 players from this centralised academy proposal? (5/8)

in their proposal - each GBBL team's academy not necessarily funded leaving only 12 players with access to a good academy in a space already occupied by schools such as Barking) - how could this possibly lead to the aims of bettering the sport and, as put, (4/8)

) because the clubs with youth systems that would be excluded by this proposal would be left in the lurch and without a league licence (or, (3/8)

they have no agreed terms with clubs that have established academies and youth systems? In terms of ladder and player catchment - this proposes the betterment of 12 players, but the exclusion of hundreds of others (in excluding the SLB clubs for example, (2/8)

Considering the sole proposal for British basketball development in the GBBL's plan (which is supposed to be the BBF’s key remit and purpose in offering out the licence) is a league funded central academy picked from ‘each clubs best players from each local academy’ - what does this mean if (1/8)

Best part:
⚫ New clubs have to pay for the privileged right to even be in the league! What a huge draw!

the entire purpose of the BBF going rogue (look at my profile for a tweet thread on that)
⚫ NBA and EuroLeague links... where we already have a literal EuroLeague ownership connection with the Lions (and Glickman got sacked!)

⚫ 75% of games housed in small arenas (leisure centres most probably considering their current circumstances with no clubs)!
⚫ Very shoddy and undercooked youth development plan where GBBL sides (with no academy)
are supposed to funnel to a central academy (with no league to play in)

I'm so glad Nick got this out publicly. Now you all can see what a joke of a proposal the GBBL is.

⚫ 1 game aired live a week!!!
⚫ 25% of games migrated to whatever big arena available - screw local support and developing fan rapport.
Screw the cultural realities of British sport interaction.

Enough is enough.

Neither side is totally blameless, but ultimately the tendering process - legal or not - has driven a wedge between the BBF and pro clubs in this country. Throwing even more uncertainty over the future of the sport.

A change at the top needs to happen.

Do we think that, A. they could even come close to replicating player salaries (a crux of the argument), B. come close to replicating the playing product, or C. have any money spare to offer elsewhere? Do we think this league would even survive?

A parade of false promises.

Imagine a group buying the Premier League licence for 100 million (adjust the budget a little!), and having to create a new league with no clubs and no arenas nor broadcasting infrastructure NOR any domestic football business-related know-how.

Sorry for the humongous thread lol (11/11)

They clearly had flaws before with Ifejeh's foul issues and Delpeche having to operate above what he was signed for, but this clears any doubt of them being a top table team now. I'd firmly place them in the top trio of London and Sheffield. (10/11)

It means Zohore will probably become a greater piece to the Manchester offense (versus what Delpeche was as a primarily play-finishing big) with which their shooters will operate off. (9/11)

it's always found in who he's replacing - it means (most probably) a hyper-strong and active defensive 5 duo of Zohore and Ifejeh, replacing the minutes of Delpeche (and lessening the reliance on an exceptionally foul-prone Ifejeh). (8/11)

and he has consistently had TO issues (means he is double-able in the post + he has had consistent bad TO%'s on cuts - bad hands in terms of catching passes).In terms of value gained with Zohore, (7/11)

His fluctuating difficulties with TS% and post-up efficiency numbers shows a slight issue with his touch around the rim (Layup FG%'s around a weaker [for a big] 55FG%), (6/11)

He has also had decent AST/USG rate years (0.42 in Poland) indicating his ability to kick out from the post (which is obviously very valuable with the spot-up players they have). (5/11)

but he gets an impressive volume of steals for his size indicating his mobility and hands. He has been a tough post defender in multiple stops (which should be scary to anyone, especially in terms of playoff implications versus Hadzibegovic + Clay). (4/11)

A higher usage big (21-22% usage rate) that operates a lot in the post (20-30% of possessions). Weaker as a defensive playmaker in terms of blocks (+ relatively poor Synergy rim against numbers indicating a deficit as an out-and-out rim protector despite his size), (3/11)

consistently above 11% [a great 13% mark in LEB Gold in 20-21] OREB rate indicating his physical ability to crash the offensive boards even in tough, larger leagues [a bad sign for opposing teams in this league, and indicates a continued focus on crashing the O-boards]). (2/11)

A tad fishy it's come this late, but here we are lol. A heavily experienced, 6'11" big that can move (will thrive in Mandole's aggressive screen defense). Exceptional rebounding numbers across a number of strong leagues (26% DREB rate in the LKL, (1/11)

The side I always find interesting (especially from a person outside of locker rooms, watching as an observer), thanks Dave