Adelaide 36ers coach Joey Wright and shooting guard Nathan Sobey say they are both on the same page after star’s benching

ADELAIDE shooting guard Nathan Sobey says he fully understands coach Joey Wright’s decision to bench him on Saturday night and accepts he must go back to basics that made him the NBL’s most improved player last year.

Joey Wright and Nathan Sobey at 36ers training on Tuesday. Picture: Tait Schmaal.

ADELAIDE shooting guard Nathan Sobey says he fully understands coach Joey Wright’s decision to bench him on Saturday night and accepts he must go back to basics that made him the NBL’s most improved player last year.

Sobey and Wright both fronted the media after 36ers training on Tuesday where they said they were on the same page ahead of this weekend’s grudge match with Illawarra.

“I’ll be ready to go whenever my number is called,” Sobey said.

“It was understood, I haven’t been performing to the ability that I can, and we’ve got to hold each other accountable.

“I’ve got to improve on the practice floor and take it into games.

“I’ve got to get back to a lot of the stuff I was doing last year, really getting after it on defence which really helped us and got us into transition so I’ve got to pick that back up.”

Wright said Sobey was getting too caught up in worrying about numbers and not the process that made him a “great player”.

“These guys get so caught up in results and what they did and their numbers, that when they don’t get those they start to increase their anxiety levels and their expectations change amongst them but not for us,” Wright said.

“He’s a great player, he needs to get back to doing the little things - getting in the passing lanes, getting deflections, knocking it out, getting a couple of dunks, couple of blocked shots and it will start to roll for him, not just go straight to the top and try to score 20.

“He’s a guy that kind of relies on results to give him the confidence instead of just the process.

“If you’re a great basketball player and there’s 30 games, you’re going to play five horrible games, five great games and 20 in the middle - and that’s a great player.

“And he’s a great player and has got to realise when he’s having those five bad ones not to get caught up in the anxiety of it.

“He’s always played with a chip on his shoulder and he probably understands that he just needs the process and not that chip.

“But he always responds when we push him and he’ll come out and play.”

The Sixers will be out to snap a two-game losing streak against the Hawks at home on Saturday night which is the first time the two sides have met since last year’s fiery semi-final series.

“The idea is not to get them any more fired up against any one team,” Wright said.

“They should be fired up period. It’s a basketball game, they get paid good money to play for six months, they better get fired up every game.”