Newley the NBL’s Great Hope

The NBL needs a miracle after the departure of legend Andrew Gaze. As Nick Mockford reports, they may have have found it in young Townsville sensation Brad Newley.

The ball goes from hand to hand, like clockwork, sucking the defender in. He stands off, slightly to his left, trying to cut off any potential lane to the basket. Instead, the ball is suddenly airborne, like a guided missile, as it finds it target in the bottom of the net.

You can’t stop Brad Newley, you can only hope to contain him, and a lot of players found that out last NBL season.

Just how the league reacts to the departure of Andrew Gaze remains to be seen. There will never be another Gaze. It’s like people who have called the likes of Grant Hill, Kobe Bryant and now LeBron James the ‘Next Michael Jordan’. Not going to happen, but the brightest Australian talent not named Andrew Bogut is a nice start.

Newley had a season to remember in 2004/05. After he was astonishingly not pounced upon by his hometown Adelaide 36ers, Townsville coach Ian Stacker lured him to the Sunshine State. He wasn’t disappointed.

Not only was Newley named Rookie of the Year, an award that seems to lack any real credibility in the NBL, he also took home 6th Man honours, and MVP of the re-introduced All-Star game.

Sure, it’s an exhibition without a lot of defense played, but any time you drop 35 on the league’s best players deserves recognition. Not to mention as a 19-year old rookie.

The NBL needs to make the most of him in 2005/06 in terms of promoting the competition, as he won’t be around after that.

Last year, a scout for the Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA claimed he would be drafted in 2006, likely in the first round, after watching his All-Star performance. While often what scouts say should be taken with a pinch of salt, there is no doubt the talent is there for him to make the jump.

If Newley decides against the NBA or doesn’t land a guaranteed contract, the money available in European leagues is increasing annually. For a kid who loves the game of basketball, the opportunity to make a living out of it – something not possible in Australia – will surely be too tempting to resist.

Despite knocking back the chance to play American collegiate basketball, Newley is in the ideal situation. Not only is he well known to scouts internationally (one recently dubbed him the brightest offensive talent not in the NBA or college), he is still able to learn from crafty veterans Robert Rose and John Rillie.

The league needs to take advantage of his presence, however, and use him as the poster-child for the 2005/06 NBL season. He and Bogut represent the future of Australian basketball, and after next season, both will be making a fortune overseas.

There will never be another Andrew Gaze and no one should expect one, but Newley’s emergence couldn’t have come at a better time.

Let’s just hope our national competition takes advantage of it.

•  Have a view on this story? Send us your feedback!