Lowery's big call on 36ers coach search

With the Adelaide 36ers’ unlikely NBL24 Finals push all but finished, eyes have moved to exactly how the club is going to rebound from a chaotic campaign.

As of the end of Round 20 the club will not have a head coach in place. Scott Ninnis will have completed his interim job following the departure of CJ Bruton, and a decision needs to be made. Stick with Ninnis, or move in a different direction.

Following ESPN's Olgun Uluc’s reports that 36ers owner Grant Kelley has met with Brian Goorjian, Damon Lowery believes the club needs to sort out its head coaching situation as soon as possible.

“It’s already turned into a little bit of a circus, you’ve got to get the head coach involved, you’ve got to get a GM of basketball, and you’ve got to get a hierarchy of leadership. Right now it just seems too chaotic,” Lowery said.

“Without a head coach in place I am huge on not signing players until the coach is there … Isaac Humphries, for whatever reason, why is this [contract] taking so long? It’s either one of two things, they don’t want Isaac, or Isaac doesn’t want them.”

DJ Vasiljevic is the first of Adelaide’s impending top-tier free agents to commit to the club, after the two-time champion signed a three-year contract extension two weeks ago.

The star guard made his stance on Adelaide’s head coaching position clear following the 36ers’ loss to Brisbane.

“I want to keep harping on it, Scott deserves it,” Vasiljevic said following Adelaide’s defeat to Brisbane on Friday night.

“You watch where we were in the FIBA break when CJ was fired, we had three days or two days to prepare for Cairns and we gave up 116, 117 points. We went to United, competed well against them, beat Brisbane, then lost two games and the New Year rolled over. We beat United, we beat Sydney, we had a close one against Cairns, each week we got better and better and we were starting to get respected.

“It wasn’t being last, it was ‘Adelaide might make the six’. For sure, Scotty does deserve it, and I would be pissed if he’s not the coach for two years and onwards.”

Lowery believes Vasiljevic’s comments could be a recipe for disaster if Adelaide does not reappoint Ninnis.

“Have a look at the Sydney Kings, you bring in a new teacher and the classroom is all rowdy, and if they don’t respect the teacher they’re not going to learn,” he said.

“You’ve got DJ in a press conference mentioning Scott Ninnis should get the job and if he doesn’t get it DJ said he’ll be pissed. That’s a problem. Now if a new coach comes in DJ is pissed before the season starts?”

Adelaide will hit the floor for its final NBL24 regular season game on Sunday afternoon against the New Zealand Breakers, live and free on ESPN via Kayo Freebies, 10 Peach and 10 Play, and Sky Sport in NZ.