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 THE biggest anomaly in SEABL imports automatically being rated as 10-point players under the NBL's Player Points System isn't reflected in the points but is blasted wide open by the salaries.THE biggest anomaly in SEABL imports automatically being rated as 10-point players under the NBL's Player Points System isn't reflected in the points but is blasted wide open by the salaries.

Just try sending the contract for your new super-duper ex-NBA import Michael James-Bryant to NBL headquarters and sit back for the phone to ring when an eagle-eye spots he is being paid $35,000.

"What? Clearly your club is trying to rort the salary cap," would be your GM's first earful.

"This guy is our league's next superstar and you expect us to believe he is being paid 35G? What do you take us for?"

It's a damn good question.

Because send in the contract for SEABL superstar CJ Massingale - who automatically was rated as a 10-point player - and no-one will (or did) bat an eyelid at his $35,000 salary.

If $35,000 was acceptable for CJ last season, then how could he be a 10-point player on the same basis as, say, Cedric Jackson, who, let's conservatively estimate was on $135,000?

New 36ers coach Joey Wright raised the question this week after a heated conversation with NBL operations manager Chuck Harmison.

Wright's contention was SEABL imports should be reviewed as eights, or nines, not automatic 10s, especially in today's financially challenging times.

But even though Chuck is not a Collingwood man, he does see life as black and white.

"The rules have always said restricted players in their first year (of NBL) are given a rating of 10," he said today.

"That's always been the case and we are too far down the track for next season to change that.

"To change it now when most of the clubs would be three-quarters of the way through their recruiting for next season would be unfair."

As unfair as favorably comparing SEABL imports to brand, shiny new ones straight off the plane?

"Shawn Redhage was from the SEABL," Chuck said. "Should he be a 10? He's still a 10 at 33 years old."

In fairness - yes, this is my second month of trialling fairness and it still wrankles - Redhage did not spend the same amount of his prime years in the SEABL as a Massingale.

Surely every case should be taken on merit and nothing should be automatic?

"I'm not disagreeing with that and perhaps the whole points system is worth having a discussion about within the next 12 months," Harmison said.

As the NBL undergoes its switch out from under Basketball Australia's umbrella, salary cap and player points systems are sure to be reviewed.

Just not in time for the 2013-14 season.

"I mean, one question you have to ask would be has the player points system achieved what it was designed to do?" Harmison asked.

Considering New Zealand and Perth were headed for the iiNet NBL Championship showdown virtually from Day One of the 2012-13 regular season and the chasm to the rest of the league was embarrassingly wide, the answer appears self-evident.
 

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