Basketball On The Internet.

THERE'S a lot going on right now in basketball, Boomer Olympic Bronze Medallist Dante Exum signing at Partizan Belgrade after a successful season with Barcelona, his Utah Jazz pal Joe Ingles at Milwaukee Bucks and Australian players pushing their cases at the NBA Summer League. It's time for "The Good, The Bad, The Ugly". 

Let's start with The GOOD:

*Perth Wildcats have appointed John Rillie as the club's latest NBL coach. Toowoomba-born JR had a terrific US college career as a shooting guard at Gonzaga, won a championship with Adelaide 36ers, went close again with West Sydney Razorbacks before a longer stint at Townsville Crocodiles and an encore finale at New Zealand Breakers.

An Athens Olympian, he also was part of the Boomers coaching team that made history last year by winning the Bronze Medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

A "gym rat" as a player who absolutely loved the game, Rillie has had an extended coaching apprenticeship at Boise State University and UC Santa Barbara in the US.

It is great to have him back in the NBL at 50 and it will be very exciting to watch his evolution and also the Wildcats return to favour after a year out of the playoffs.

More Good...

*Australia's 3x3 team of Jesse Wagstaff, Daniel Johnson, Greg Hire and Andrew Steel won the Gold Medal at the FIBA Asia Cup 3X3 tournament. Wagstaff clinched it with a nifty reverse for a 21-17 win in the Final over New Zealand.

Anneli Maley was the star of the women's 3X3 team which fell short in the Final against China but came home with the Silver. Marena Whittle, Lauren Scherf and Lauren Mansfield comprised the team.

*This might actually go from "Good" to "Great" because it is great to see multiple Olympian and Boomers centre Aron Baynes back in full training and working out in Las Vegas in front of NBA scouts and coaching personnel.

The BAD

*Australia having to play games against national teams from a lower tier in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia at the FIBA Asia Cup. What genuine purpose does it serve to belt countries such as these?

*Where does FIBA expect its federations to find the finances and resources to play in its now "over-the-top" international schedule?

The UGLY

*The Wildcats' handling of the dismissal of "one-and-done" coach Scott Morrison was very un-Wildcatlike and a lot more in line with how footy goes about it. Or should that explain it?

*The increasingly ugly post epic-season scenario for the Tasmania JackJumpers with import Josh Adams saying he was not required by coach Scott Roth for a second season, has cast somewhat of a pall over what was a fairytale NBL debut for all on the isle. 

*Notice too that Basketball Australia's "high performance" folk have snuck Paul Goriss back on to the Opals coaching staff. Goriss, you may recall, was suspended for a month after BA found him guilty of engaging in prohibited conduct under Basketball Australia’s framework for ethical behaviour and integrity. He served his time, right? A severely long month, apparently. Let's rush him, albeit very very stealthily and quietly, back into one of our two most important national programmes and Bob's your uncle. 

At least BA showed some Wilsons on the Liz Cambage front, right?

Um ... no. That was Matt Logue at NewsCorps.