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Brock Motum looks to follow Ennis-paved path to the NBA

Roar Guru
5th November, 2014
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The Perth Wildcats have one of the greatest finals records in professional sport, but their streak looks to be in trouble. (Image via NBL)
Roar Guru
5th November, 2014
6
3370 Reads

The NBL has been treading water and desperately searching for an identity ever since its heyday of the mid-1990s, but becoming a breeding ground for players to fine tune their games before heading to the NBA could be the answer – and perhaps already is.

The example of James Ennis, who helped lead the Perth Wildcats to the NBL championship last season and now is playing regular NBA minutes with the Miami Heat, shows that the league is now at a standard capable of producing someone who can go one and be a significant contributor on the biggest stage.

Now the NBL and the Adelaide 36ers have pulled off a massive coup with the signing of Brock Motum for the rest of the 2014/15 campaign.

Motum only narrowly missed earning a final roster spot with the Utah Jazz, and ironically the main reason for that was fellow Australian, Joe Ingles.

But now he will not only look to ensure Adelaide is again an NBL championship contender, but fine tune his game to the point where he becomes someone NBA teams can’t overlook again.

Australian basketball is perhaps at its all-time high in terms of individual talent with Andrew Bogut, Patty Mills and Matthew Dellavedova big-time NBA players and Aron Baynes a regular with the San Antonio Spurs, Dante Exum a potential star with the Jazz and Ingles and Cameron Bairstow in their first seasons, looking to make their mark.

Not to mention the vast array of talent in Europe and the college system.

That means Australian talent is squarely on the map for NBA franchises. With the success of Ennis at the Heat after what he did with the Wildcats, it means strong performances in the NBL will count for a lot for players.

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Even before the arrival of Motum to join the 36ers, this NBL season was already going to have the potential of providing players to go on and play in the NBA.

Perth’s DeAndre Daniels and Melbourne United’s Jordan McRae were both selected in the 2014 NBA Draft and will now be looking to replicate what Ennis did by starring in the NBL this season, and then earning a roster spot in the NBA in 2015/16.

The pair aren’t the ones with the potential to use the NBL to end up in the NBA either, with Scottie Wilbekin (Cairns Taipans) and Jahii Carson (Wollongong Hawks) all looking to make the leap.

Throw in the fact that Josh Childress (Sydney Kings), Mickell Gladness (Townsville Crocodiles) and Luke Schenscher (Adelaide) have NBA experience behind them, and the quality of the product on-court has improved significantly this season.

That is exactly why Motum looked at his options when he narrowly missed making the cut with the Jazz and thought that playing in the NBL for the rest of the 2014/15 season would give him the best chance of ending up in the NBA next season.

Motum joined up with the Australian Boomers for the Sino-Australia Challenge in China back in July/August, and impressed so much that he became an obvious pick in the FIBA World Cup team in Spain, putting himself right in line for an NBA contract.

The 24-year-old versatile forward who can comfortably play in either the three or four position, has an outstanding inside game and a developing outside game, performed tremendously in the NBA Summer League and was unlucky to be cut on the eve of the season by Utah.

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The 208cm forward arrives in Adelaide ready to team up with coach Joey Wright who he knew back from his junior days in Brisbane, and has no doubt it will give him the best chance to return to the NBA.

“That’s my goal and I think it’s a great path,” Motum said on arrival in Adelaide.

“I think the talent here is underrated, and it showed with James Ennis last year what can happen after he had a good year here and now has a contract with the Heat. Guys come down here as imports and who want to make it in the NBA, and that only helps the league.”

Not only that, but Motum hopes to help the 36ers become a real championship threat as well. Adelaide made the NBL grand final last season but lost to Ennis and the Wildcats, and since have lost key players Daniel Johnson, Gary Ervin and Jason Cadee.

However, with the signing of Motum to go with Jamar Wilson (when he returns from injury) and with another Boomer Adam Gibson in career-best form, then the 36ers are a genuine threat at the title. Motum says the decision of where to play was an easy one.

“In terms of the NBL it was an easy decision,” Motum said.

“I’ve had a relationship with Joey since I was younger back in Brisbane and the team here has the potential I think to win so it’s a good opportunity for me. The season finishes pretty early as well so I think that helped my decision.”

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Putting up strong numbers and perhaps leading the 36ers to a title could mean that Motum bangs down the door to an NBA contract next season and that is exactly what the NBL should be aiming to become a league that it’s best at.

No longer should the NBL be somewhere former NBA players come to wind down but instead be somewhere that players can develop into future NBA players and that could be the best possible way to find an identity again and become relevant not only locally but globally.

Having players trying to shine to the point to earn an NBA deal will only help the standard of other imports and local Australian players, and in turn the quality of the league will be exciting to watch and possibly lead to a television deal next season to set the NBL up for a brighter future.

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