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Brad Newley profile
Drafted #54 in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Mavericks
Height: 6'6" (198 cm)
Weight: 198 lbs (90 kg)
Position: SG
High School: Australian Institute of Sport
Hometown: Lower Mitcham, Australia
Current Team: Melbourne
Win - Loss: 23 - 9

Articles

Orlando Pre-Draft Camp: Day Three

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Mike Schmidt
Mike Schmidt
Joseph Treutlein
Joseph Treutlein
Jonathan Watters
Jonathan Watters
Jun 01, 2007, 02:29 am
After a very quiet first half, Newley woke up to a certain extent with a 6-point outburst in the span of one minute that showed off a lot of the potential that makes him an intriguing guy as far as the 2nd round is concerned. The most emphatic of his plays was a fantastic foray into the paint after creating his own shot from the perimeter and extremely athletic finish with a two-handed dunk. Newley also did a lot of little things for his team, facilitating ball-movement and getting to the free throw line made some nice passes. He didn’t seem to force anything today at all—only taking 5 shots—except for one NBA 3-pointer that he completely airballed. Newley’s lateral quickness looked a little bit questionable at times, but you can’t say that he’s done anything to hurt himself with what he showed at this camp so far.

Roundup: Europe Hails Ricky Rubio

Luis Fernández
Luis Fernández
Dec 26, 2006, 01:19 pm
…Brad Newley, who has delivered terrific performances lately. Last week he led the Crocodiles to a win over the New Zealand Breakers, finishing with 30 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists. He was decisive in the first quarter, helping Townsville to build a lead with his perimeter shooting, transition game and ability to get to the charity stripe. The previous week he recorded a career-high 46 points to go along with 7 rebounds and 2 assists, while securing the victory for his team against the Cairns Taipans. Right now Newley is the fourth best scorer in the NBL with 22.7 points per game, while he also provides 5.8 boards and 3.1 assists. He’s hands down one of the top acts in the Aussie League.

Newley does most of his damage with an excellent combination of three-point shooting and slashing ability, while his passing helps to involve his teammates in his individual efforts. He’s a solid perimeter shooter who usually punishes the defense on any open 3-point looks he gets. He also can nail his shots with backsteps or off the dribble, showing nice mechanics in the process, particularly with his quick and high release. The shooting menace he represents helps to create space for slashing attempts. Newley is a fairly quick and athletic prospect who attacks the rim with aggressiveness, particularly driving to his right. He suffers going left because of his limitations in finishing with that hand. Either way, he’s not selfish and easily finds open teammates to feed. He also helps in the rebounding department, showing aggressiveness and good timing in his efforts, which allows him to catch the ball really high. It’s not even rare to see him flying from the weak side to look for a block.

Of course, his effectiveness in the NBL is fuelled by the poor defensive level this league shows. Still, he’s a very legit candidate for the upcoming draft, when he will be automatically eligible.

FIBA World Championship Preview: Group C, Part Two

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Kristian Hohnjec
Kristian Hohnjec
Aug 16, 2006, 02:48 am
An offensive-minded player, with a great feel for the game, Newley has a chance to really make a name for himself in his world-wide debut on the International basketball scene. The upcoming World Championships will be the perfect opportunity for him to showcase his skills, as he is a unique prospect who also happens to be very entertaining to watch. He is coming off a fairly solid showing at the NBA pre-draft camp this past June in Orlando, where he elevated his stock, but probably not quite high enough to secure himself as a first round pick.

Newley will probably be coming off the bench to spark the offense with his shooting touch and shot-creating skills. He is athletic enough to compete with most off-guards in that tournament, can get out and ignite the fast break, and despite his size, is lanky and smooth enough to insert himself as a factor against almost any type of opposing defense.

He is a steady and constant scorer and usually has a lot of confidence against one-on-one defenses. He has very good size for the 2-guard position, with very good ball-handling skills, particularly with his left hand. This allows him to beat his opponent off the dribble thanks to his smarts, and be both an interesting slasher and an effective finisher with either hand. Another notably strong part of his game is his off the ball movement, moving constantly and speeding between opponents in order to free himself from his man. He is a pretty smart case of a player and could be very creative and a useful tool for any offensive system.

Despite being a star from an early age in both his local league and the junior National teams, Newley has shown to be a cooperative teammate, with the ability to score but also create for teammates, thanks to his very good court vision, above average passing skills and notable unselfishness, up to the point of even passing up good shots in favor of a pass sometimes. This doesn't mean that his shot selection isn't good, but that he should trust himself even more often, particularly when he has the defense beat.

One downside to his game is that he’s a bit too thin to defend right now against stronger and more experienced wing players. Although he is fluid and crafty and will surprise you at times with his willingness to sacrifice his body, he lacks the proper defensive fundamentals and lateral quickness to consistently stay in front of his man.

Moreover, although he is an above average athlete overall, it is still obvious that this is enough to make him stand out at the next level, particularly the NBA where his explosiveness would be considered average at best. His potential is lessened somewhat due to that.

Overall, Newley, whose always-high morale and offensive minded game should boost the Boomers for sparks, is a very interesting young player, certainly a mainstay for years to come on the Australian perimeter, and potentially the successor of Shane Heal and Andrew Gaze and the necessary complimentary piece for Andrew Bogut.

Orlando Pre-Draft Camp: Day 3 (Last Update: 10:46 AM)

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Mike Schmidt
Mike Schmidt
Joseph Treutlein
Joseph Treutlein
Jonathan Watters
Jonathan Watters
Eric Weiss
Eric Weiss
Jun 08, 2006, 11:52 am
It was another solid performance for Brad Newley, who has impressed in unconventional ways so far this in this camp. Where most players remain overly assertive here and end up forcing things, Newley lets the game come to him. He works tirelessly off the ball, coming off of screens and making productive passes. That doesn’t stop him from hustling, however. Newley always remains active, hitting the deck for loose balls, pressuring the ball in the backcourt, and always looking for ways to make a positive contribution. He had been a non-factor as a scorer thus far in the tournament, but managed to hit three nice looking midrange jumpers in this game. Newley hasn’t separated himself from the pack enough yet (a chance to see what he can do off the dribble would be nice), but continues to contribute for his team doing the little things.

Aussie Ball is Back

Andrew Floyd
Andrew Floyd
Jan 25, 2005, 03:31 pm
Brad Newley has burst onto the Australian basketball stage, whipping up a storm of excitement on his way. The rookie from South Australia has begun his professional playing career with the Townsville Crocodiles in the National Basketball League (NBL) and has all but wrapped up the Rookie of the Year Award. Averaging 15 points per game on 52% shooting in under 20 minutes per outing is exceptional in anyone's book. What makes Brad truly exciting, and probably the most electrifying guard to come out of Australia since Shane Heal, is the way he finishes; be it solo or over defenders or on the break, Newley finishes with authority. In 2003, in an exhibition game against Brigham Young University, featuring highly regarded Raphael Araujo, Newley finished with 21 points.
Just this year, Newley was voted a starter in the NBL All-Star game, which is amazing considering he doesn't even start for his own team; obviously, the NBL fans know a good thing when they see it. Just this week, the LA Clippers sent out a scout to check on Newley and the scorer put on a show. Against the hottest team in the league, the Andrew Gaze-led Melbourne Tigers, Newley exploded for 26 points on 9/16 shooting, including 4/7 from beyond the arc. He also added six assists and four rebounds in only 27 minutes. But that was just the appetizer.

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A couple of nights later, the All-Star game was underway, with the Clippers scout in the stands. It wasn't long before Newley put his stamp on the game, flushing an alley-oop on the very first possesion. Newley then went on to score 35 points on 14/26 shooting, including 5/10 from beyond the arc, in what will go down as one of the all-time great All-Star perfomances. He was duly awarded the MVP of the game and it is safe to say the Clippers scout was smiling.

Newley said he told Andrew Bogut on the phone about the scout, and, "Boges said, 'A scout? -- I had 22 at my last game'." That puts things into perspective for Newley, whose goals are to make the national team for the Beijing Olympics and then see what happens.

Background

Born in February 1985, Brad Newley stands 6'5 and weighs 181 pounds. He has a very wiry frame which could carry an extra 20-25 pounds without much noticeable difference. He is not very muscular and looks like your average skinny 18 year old; he has a similar body shape to Dorrell Wright (though not as long, obviously). Brad Newley is currently a rookie in the National Basketball League in Australia, where he averages about 20 minutes per game. He plays behind one of the most pure shooters in the country and a member of the National team, John Rillie, and also one of the best imports to play in Australia, Robert Rose. This is the only reason he doesn't play more minutes, but with Rob Rose retiring at the end of the season, Newley is set to become a starter next season. Just last week, Rose was injured and Newley stepped in and played 39 minutes with great results; 26 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, on 10/20 shooting. Newley is primarily a shooting guard with a shoot-first mentality.

Strengths

Newley's offensive ability is nothing short of stunning. A consistent shooter from anywhere on the court, it is his creativity that sets him apart. He can get his shot off against most defenders and does not hesitate to pull the trigger from downtown, which makes him extremely difficult to defend. He attacks the rim whenever he can and does not settle for the finger-roll. Newley finishes with authority and does not lack confidence. The guard possesses a great change of speeds and uses this to his advantage when turning the corner against a defender on his way to a pull up jumpshot or a rim-rattling jam. His number one advantage in the Australian League is his athleticism and he exploits this at every opportunity. Newley is a very good shooter and is averaging 36% from beyond the arc. He does have NBA range on his shot and releases the ball relatively high, making it tough to defend, especially with his quick release. He is as comfortable shooting off the dribble as he is spotting up and will shoot from anywhere. Newley shoots 52% from the field overall, but only 67% from the free throw line. The only thing I can put it down to is perhaps his concentration at the line is not where it should be, because his form is sound; or maybe it's just one of those rookie things.

Newley's on-court demeanor is very business-like and he is most competitive. His teammates seem to enjoy his company and he was the toast of the All-Star game with all the veterans having great things to say about him. He is the sort of guy who won't quit until he has won or reached his goal. This is why I believe he can become a decent defender. He is able to make the tough pass in traffic when the double team approaches, but doesn't always make the right decision.

Weaknesses

Defense. Newley is only an average on-ball defender who doesn't get too many steals considering his quickness. This is an area of his game he knows needs improvement, and which he has stated he is out to work on. Newley doesn't play the passing lanes anywhere near as well as he should and sometimes gets lost against teams who move the ball a lot. Newley has all the tools to be a good to very good defender, but needs to put in the work sooner rather than later. One of Newley's current teammates, John Rillie, who attended Gonzaga University, said just recently that Brad didn't know how to spell pass before he arrived in the NBL. He is very much a shoot-first player, but he does have decent court vision. He just doesn't use it very often. His assist numbers have gradually gone up as teams have started gearing their defense toward him, which shows he is making the adjustments to continue to be successful. His coach has spoken openly about Newley's need to improve his passing and has just recently been praising him for making the effort to improve this area of his game.

Offensively, Newley should be fairly easy to scout by the opposition, as when he goes left, he is pulling up. When he goes right, he usually keeps going to the hole. This is mainly due to the fact he doesn't have a great left handed dribble in pressure situations. With this in mind though, he still gets what he wants on offense. Newley does seem to need the ball to be effective, but this can be put down to him having been the dominant scorer on weak junior teams; he will understand the importance of this as his career progresses.

Newley forces the issue at times when driving to the hoop. In the under-20 nationals, he picked up three fouls in a matter of minutes due to frustration. We have seen less of that so far in his NBL career. Defense is his major deficiency, but he has all the tools to be a good defender. On most of his junior teams, Newley was the number one scorer and coaches didn't force the issue with regards to his defense. Now that he has arrived in the NBL, he has been told from all corners that his defense must improve; especially if he has designs on the NBA.

Outlook

Newley is an extremely confident young man who knows what he is capable of. He will not back down from anyone and relishes a challenge. He will be a part of the next national team without a doubt. With an NBA scout coming to watch him, we must view him as a potential NBA player. The San Antonio Spurs have also requested tapes of Newley and his coach said the Clippers scout suggested he would be drafted in 2006. I do have reservations about his ability to play in the NBA; starting with his body. He needs to bulk up, as he is currently slight for NBL standards, let alone NBA standards. I don't think Newley can play as a combo guard, as he isn't a natural passer and is only now just realising what passing can do for his own game. He is young, which is in his favour, and to be honest, I think everyone was very surprised to see the scout out here; then again, most things Newley has done this year have surprised us. If he continues to improve at this rate, he could very well make it in the NBA. I would predict the next World Championships will be his coming out party, playing alongside Bogut. There was talk that a few major colleges made him offers, but he rejected them, as he wasn't too interested in spending any more time studying. If this is his mindset, then we could see Newley playing in Europe within three years, if the NBA doesn't come knocking first.

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