[McDunkin]

 

 

The Herald Sun understands the Melbourne Tigers star will soon fly to the US after multiple NBA teams told his Los Angeles-based agent they wanted to take a look at the 25-year-old once his NBL season was completed.

 

Goulding — who created international buzz when he sunk 50 points against Sydney this season — has enjoyed a stellar season in which he won the NBL scoring title.

 

Adelaide 36ers coach Joey Wright — the man who discovered Goulding as a 16-year-old — spoke glowingly of the shooting guard after his side eliminated Melbourne from the finals on Tuesday night.

 

“I want to go on record and talk about how impressive I thought Goulding’s year was — it was one of the best years I’ve seen anyone play,” Wright said.

 

“All that stuff that goes on court, he knows I don’t hold him to that — the kid is a warrior, he is unbelievable.”

 

He last night finished a close second to Wollongong import Rotnei Clarke, who took home the Andrew Gaze Trophy as the league MVP at a gala Docklands function.

 

Tigers point guard Nate Tomlinson won the league’s Most Improved Player award.

 

Gouding was named in the NBL’s All Star first team, which included Clarke and Perth import James Ennis.

 

The awards night precedes this morning’s NBL announcement, which has been labelled “an exciting off-season project abroad” in partnership with the NBA.

 

While the details were being kept secret last night, it is believed to be in relation to the NBA Summer League.

 

Goulding — who played in the NBA Summer League with Cleveland last season — has a year remaining on his Melbourne contract but get-out clauses exist in the event of overseas offers.

 

The Tigers are expected to be well compensated if Goulding is lured abroad.

 

The club’s plans for next year’s roster will be on hold until its MVP decides his future.

 

Tigers coach Chris Anstey said he believed the club was “really, really close” in its quest to win a title for the first time since 2008.

 

“I’ve learnt a lot, I’ve taken my hits and made my mistakes — I feel I can do this and take this club back to where it deserves to be, in a championship series,” he said.

 

“Every team would say their group deserves to be in the finals, but I think we are really, really close to putting together a group who can challenge for this thing.”

 

The core of the Melbourne squad is set to return next season and there is not expected to be a high turnover.

 

But there will be some changes.

 

Replacement import Mustapha Farrakhan is unlikely to back next season.

 

Tigers signing Stephen Dennis — who suffered a season-ending achilles injury before the start of this season — is set to return to Melbourne next year if his recovery remain on track.

 

http://m.heraldsun.com.au/sport/basketball/melbourne-tigers-star-chris-goulding-to-fly-to-us-for-nba-tryouts/story-fni2u9cl-1226872925288

 

 

[Kinguy11Participant]

 Even if Goulding doesn’t make an NBA team, he’ll have plenty of offers from big teams in Europe. The NBL’s success this season may be its downfall next season, however, with other guys like Clarke, Ennis, Johnson, Ogilvy and Young getting summer league offers and I’d bet at least a couple make an NBA roster.

It will interesting how the new changes the league has put into place will aid the league next season. To what extent will the NBL summer league be a partnership with the NBA or will it just be in the shadow of the NBA summer league itself? Will an All Star game be financially viable next season? Can a team use the new marquee player rule to lure a star player (by NBL standards)?

Anyway, I’m going off topic. I hope that guys can start making the jump straight from the NBL to the NBA, it shows a well deserved increase in the leagues credibly and that big things are starting to happen for basketball down under.

[Kinguy11Participant]

 Even if Goulding doesn’t make an NBA team, he’ll have plenty of offers from big teams in Europe. The NBL’s success this season may be its downfall next season, however, with other guys like Clarke, Ennis, Johnson, Ogilvy and Young getting summer league offers and I’d bet at least a couple make an NBA roster.

It will interesting how the new changes the league has put into place will aid the league next season. To what extent will the NBL summer league be a partnership with the NBA or will it just be in the shadow of the NBA summer league itself? Will an All Star game be financially viable next season? Can a team use the new marquee player rule to lure a star player (by NBL standards)?

Anyway, I’m going off topic. I hope that guys can start making the jump straight from the NBL to the NBA, it shows a well deserved increase in the leagues credibly and that big things are starting to happen for basketball down under.

[he_gets_bucketsParticipant]

 This is how bad our Australian league, the NBL, is. One of the best, if not the best non import player, players in the league is barely a summer league player. 

[he_gets_bucketsParticipant]

 This is how bad our Australian league, the NBL, is. One of the best, if not the best non import player, players in the league is barely a summer league player. 

[Author]

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