Joey Wright says no one else is to blame for Adelaide 36ers’ failings this season as he prepares to depart

Joey Wright hasn’t held back in his final press conference as Adelaide 36ers coach, taking full responsibility for missing finals and saying Eric Griffin wasn’t interested in playing.

Joey Wright speaks to the Adelaide 36ers during Saturday night’s loss to Perth. Picture: Paul Kane (Getty).

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Joey Wright has used his final press conference as Adelaide 36ers coach to take full responsibility for the club’s failings this season and says no one has cost him his job.

The Sixers finished the season 12-16 and in seventh position after Saturday night’s 94-79 loss to Perth and missed the NBL finals for the second year in a row after they went within a game of winning the championship in 2018.

The club is set to make an announcement within days confirming reports that it will part ways with Wright despite him having two seasons remaining on his contract.

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On Saturday night Wright admitted “something was wrong” after the team’s lacklustre effort against the Wildcats which was a reflection of their season.

“We just weren’t very good at making decisions (this year), weren’t very good at making shots, we just weren’t very good,” he said.

“I don’t know who we beat and who we didn’t beat, we just weren’t very good.

“Nobody has cost me anything, if there’s any wrongdoing or if I’m not here it’s on me. No one at all.

“I rolled the dice on every single one of those guys, the pot might not have been as big as I wanted it to or as many people in it, but I still picked every single one of those guys.

“No one cost me a job or cost me a position, that’s on me.”

There is set to be significant change to Adelaide’s three imports next season with Jerome Randle the only one with a contract.

Joey Wright, coach of the 36ers addresses his players at a time-out during the round 20 NBL match between the Perth Wildcats and Adelaide 36ers at RAC Arena on February 15, 2020 in Perth, Australia. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images.

Eric Griffin and Ramone Moore are set to depart with Moore injured and Griffin only playing 2:27 for the entire game on Saturday night.

“It looked like he was (injured), he turned the ball over three times in 10 seconds, I don’t know what was wrong with him but he wasn’t interested in playing tonight so I wasn’t interested in playing him,” Wright said.

“Jerome wasn’t that bad, he just didn’t give us what he normally gives us, Dan (Dillon) did a great job and dogged the ball and got into it. Jerome didn’t play bad but Dan played better.”

Adelaide’s best player, Daniel Johnson, said he was disappointed the team couldn’t give Wright a win in his 500th career game as coach.

“I think some of the guys who didn’t get up haven’t been here as long as some of us, Drmic, Teys and myself have been around Joey for a while,” Johnson said.

“We have that connection, we’ve done a lot of great things, he came to the club at a time where we didn’t know how to win and he showed us how to do that.

“We had finals runs and won a lot of games so I’ve appreciated what he did for me and the club and I wanted to come out and play hard for him.

“It’s been a tough couple of weeks, it’s no excuse but guys should have come out and play hard. I feel like Joey cares about everyone on the team and does what he can to help them.

“But some of the effort wasn’t there from people tonight which is disappointing.”

Originally published as Joey Wright says no one else is to blame for Adelaide 36ers’ failings this season as he prepares to depart