As revealed in the Herald Sun on Friday, Crazy John's South Dragons recruit Brad Hill faces almost two years out of the NBL after suffering debilitating nerve damage to his back and shoulder.

The talented swingman suffered a terrible broken arm playing for the Adelaide 36ers last season and there were concerns for his basketball future following that incident.

Recognising Hill's talent and potential, the Crazy John's South Dragons signed the free agent to their revamped roster for the 2007/08 NBL season.

But nerve damage to Hill's back and shoulder have severely limited his arm movement and ruled him out of action.

Hill, who burst onto the scene with the Sixers after a stint at the Australian Institute of Sport, will now focus on a return to full fitness ahead of the 2008/09 season.

Coach Shane Heal said the club was positive about Hill's future in the sport.

"There are signs this nerve in his back and shoulder has shown some improvement, so we don't want to rush it," he said.

"There's no guarantee if it's going to (be) six, eight, 12 months or whatever, but the experts have given feedback that it's going to be right for next season and we want to get him going and make sure that's the case."

Hill's place on the roster will go to veteran guard Matt Shanahan, who was set to retire and join the coaching staff as an assistant with Guy Molloy. He will back up starters Heal and import Cortez Groves, with Luke Martin also coming off the bench in the guard spots.

Despite the loss of Hill, the Crazy John's South Dragons will enter the 2007/08 season with one of the most fearsome line-ups in the NBL.