Basketball On The Internet.

WHAT has happened to the naturalised American player in the NBL?

It’s a damn great question and one Adelaide 36ers assistant coach and Larry Sengstock Medallist Kevin Brooks fired at me the other day after a conversation he’d had with the infamous Statman.

There was a time when securing a quality naturalised player was the X-factor in winning a championship. Think Damon Lowery at Wollongong circa 2001.

Al Green and Dwayne Nelson at Adelaide.

And what a difference it made to Perth from 1990 when James Crawford and Tiny Pinder were naturalised.

LONG LIFE: James Crawford added substantially to his NBL longevity by becoming naturalised.

Today, in fact, Perth is the only club still suiting a naturalised Aussie, Shawn Redhage.

Seven other clubs are going with local players and two imports.

Not sure whether it is because imports tended to stay a lot longer in them thar “good olde days” or because our own talent level has gone up with so many clubs now suiting returning Aussie guys who have gone the US college route.

But what amazes me more than the lack of import longevity today is the fact that so few SEABL imports have recognised they could and would have NBL careers if they naturalised.

Take Daequon Montreal or CJ Massingale, for recent examples at Adelaide.

Both came in as NBL imports and I believe both would have made it too, given the right circumstances.

Massingale was heading into the twilight of his SEABL career when he took the step up but was starved of opportunity in Marty Clarke’s disastrous regime.

But he still could have cut it after that if he had naturalised.

Montreal started slowly and still was finding the pace of NBL when the Sixers had the opportunity to pick up NBA near-miss and World Cup Boomers forward Brock Motum.

The 36ers released the SEABL superstar who has continued to be a dominating figure with Dandenong Rangers this year.

He is one of many who have come to Australia to play in the SEABL, stuck around and, by now, would be great prospects to step up a level in the less-demanding role of a naturalised player.

If NBL imports aren’t sticking around for years these days, then that naturalised door is wide open.

Eric Cooks walked through it back in the day and many others have followed.

Perhaps it was his association with Dave Gruber and Adam Ballinger last year at Wollongong but import guard Gary Ervin is the most recent "name" player to talk about naturalising.

Unfortunately for Gary, the Hawks have gone in a far different direction so he can stop learning the lyrics to Advance Australia Fair. He hasn't exactly been girt by NBL offers.

As for SEABL imports? Several would be welcome in a number of NBL programs if they came as Aussies.

Speaking of which, what about this for a wacky idea? http://bit.ly/1hQbOm1

But I digress. The naturalisation door is open. There's a few SEABL, QBL, WA SBL, Premier League etc etc imports who should give it some serious thought.