NBL legend weighs in on shock Adelaide call

The Adelaide 36ers have already made the first big roster move of NBL24, and the season hasn’t even started yet.

Adelaide announced the mutual departure of import guard Jamaal Franklin on Monday evening, barely 72 hours before the new campaign tips off with Thursday night’s Throwdown between Melbourne and South East Melbourne.

Franklin’s departure has only exacerbated Adelaide’s recent import issues, following the losses of Robert Franks and Antonius Cleveland in the off-season and Craig Randall II during NBL23.

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Former NBL champion Lanard Copeland has praised Adelaide head coach CJ Bruton for making a tough call that could help the team.

“As a coach you watch a guy training in the pre-season and if it’s not working and he’s not fitting or giving you what you want, and you have the ability and finances to make that move you do it straight away to help the team,” Copeland said on NBL Now.

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“We all know CJ can coach, CJ’s been playing this game and won six championships at the point guard position. He knows this game.

“You’ve got to understand, I played down in Adelaide and there’s a lot of pressure, those people want wins. The fans want wins and if you can’t bring them wins they start putting the pressure on you.

“I think CJ knows that and he knows he has to get it right this year, because if not, anything can happen.”

Adelaide’s opening round of fixtures will present the team with an opportunity to steady the ship against two high-flying opponents.

The 36ers first take on Brisbane on Friday night, before returning home to host Melbourne United on Sunday afternoon.

Adelaide was handily defeated by the Bullets in its first game of the Blitz. Six Brisbane players ended the clash with double-digit scoring in the 103-78 victory.

Copeland believes Adelaide’s first round could be season-defining for the current group of players and coaches.

“[If] they go 0-2 with two big losses, you’re going to hear a lot of booing from the fans in Adelaide, because of all the things that have happened throughout the year and last year,” he said.

“If they can split the weekend you can sit down as a coaching staff and say ‘we’re getting better’.

“If you go 0-2 and it’s two bad losses then you’ve got troubles. You’ve got real troubles,”

Adelaide’s Friday night clash with Brisbane tips off at 7:30pm AEST, live on ESPN via Kayo.